My Ballerina
by HNNKN777
Summary: I fell in-love with her since the day I saw her at the beach, though our circumstances and status are different, I was just about to do everything to keep her in my sight, but all of that changed when my parents died and my life became a bowl of duty.
1. First Friend, First Kiss

A/N: I DO NOT OWN GUNDAM SEED OR ANY OF THE CHARATERS FOR THAT MATTER. I ONLY OWN THIS FIC. AND THIS STORYLINE. SO SUE NOT.

"_The last time my heart skipped a beat, butterflies convulsed in my stomach, my eyes staring, my lips slightly parted…….. all of these emotions swelled up inside of me………..it was one of those times where I would give up sanity and be myself for once, it was one of those times where I would give up the soundness of my judgment and let my emotions speak my words." _

"_I could still remember the 22__nd__ of October, a week before my 13__th__ birthday; I was 12 yrs. old at that time and a 7__th__ grader, I am what they call " a man-child", I always think and act ahead of my age and I was my families pride and a child prodigy, I am born in a coordinator family, my father is the National Defense Committee Chairman who is the radical faction leader of the PLANT Supreme Council, my mom and I look the same and both have something in common like our blue hairs and our natural charisma and most importantly our tantalizing emerald orb. They said I was born out of the gods themselves and I was a cursed with such beauty and natural physique, but you know what they say, "looks can be deceiving". _

"_I spend my past time reading in our huge library when I went home from school. Everything in my life is picture-perfect; I was a kid every parent would dream of having. When I was young and well-ripe in age I was already taught how to act and speak like a gentlemen to the ladies and gents, I was taught how to play the instruments in which the piano was my favorite, I was taught how to do formal ball dances, you could compare me to a medieval prince who is born to serve and please others, to never be himself and act, act and act, like an actor who hides his true identity, never the same person when he was on stage than he was on real life, often times it puts me into a realization whether we're both the same, we live to act and then nothing else. I always thought whether all those persons I met knew who I really was behind the mask of Athrun Zala, the ever-perfect and handsome kid that they knew I was. Like a series of web that never stops whirling and whirling, no end no pause. _

_I always wished that my life would have been different, I wish there would be some kind of twist in fate that would change my everyday routine into something exciting and meaningful, something that I would always look forward to when I get up and when I sleep, or perhaps, something that exciting that I could never afford to get some sleep at night and would always repeat the event on and on in my head, I always wished for those kind of things to happen, I wished for a single person to know and maybe love me for who I really am, aside from my mother who has never fail to inform and act the way I want her really to be, act like a mother to a "child". And without much effort, one day that wish came true, it wasn't in a form of a thing and surely it wasn't something I've worked for days, but it was something that destiny laid for it to happen. It was that fateful day on October 22__nd__, a week before my 13__th__ birthday. _

"The sea breeze was swaying my blue locks as I stare at the horizon of water, with the sunset setting into the deep waters like curtain of pale red and orange, the sea was calm and peaceful that sometimes you would get jealous as to how such an un-living thing could get that much solace with the absence of life in it. Pondering with this things would be futile because you could never get the answers in due time, time can only tell why the sea would be like these in days, but you could never say the sea would always be this peaceful, it also has it's time when the waters would get angry for no reason, then again who says it doesn't have life? When it can change into one mood of condition and then the other?

"sigh"

"Then again time can only tell….." Athrun said in whisper to himself as he continued painting the dusk at the horizon. Holding his paintbrush and sitting on the soft, warm sand made him look like a professional painter with his school uniform still on and his briefcase beside his hips when he was sitting, with both his legs forward and a bit arched and his knees bended. The sketch pad lay motionless on his lap.

"Almost done……" he said to himself as he mixed the shade of grey, red and orange to make the contrast more realistic and believable, when suddenly he stopped and stared.

He saw a girl dancing at the sea shore with saltwater rising and splashing up to her ankles. She has blonde locks that flowed up to her waistline and that it followed every move she makes. When she twirls, her hair follows like a tail, it shone in the dusk like gold sparkles. She was so graceful like a swan; it was as if she was floating on water, with no gravity to push her down on the watery surface, the skin on her legs showed up to her mid-thighs like ivory. Whenever she spins, her skirt leaps around and shows a little of her ivory thighs. Her face shows so much expression. She was tiptoeing and was putting all her weight on her toes. Her balance was so perfect. She kept on dancing and dancing like there was no one watching her, it was so wonderful to feel to be able to be yourself, like she was, so free and carefree, doing what she does best.

Even though I never spoke to her that instance, I felt as if I knew her through her dancing, to me what she's doing was not merely dancing, it was as if she's expressing herself, and her dance told of her story. It was like reading a book with no words or letters, only pictures, and it's up to you to comprehend and understand what the author is trying convey.

My thought's where suddenly interrupted when there was an awful splash of water, it was as if a weight had caused it to recoil and created a small wave up to the edge.

The girl I was starring at yelped, stumbled back and fell butt first. Almost half of her body was soaking and wet; the edges of her hair were partly soiled because of the salt water.

I swiftly stood up, untied my shoe lace and left my painting materials and my briefcase and came hurriedly to help her get up. I didn't even care when I was half soak myself.

"Are you alright?" I inquired while I held on her waist to help her stand. When she stood up she was a head shorter than me, she was so petite.

"I'm fine….." she said while she placed both her hands on my chest and my hands on her hips for her to regain her balance. Our faces where inches apart, and it was the first time I've seen her amber orbs slightly covered by her hair.

Stricken with reality, the girl with amber orbs suddenly shove my arm away from her and roughly pushed me, while she ran hastily back to the shore, leaving me all soak and wet.

"W-wait!" I bark at her retreating form while helping myself up towards the shore where she'd ran through.

She hastily put on her socks and school shoes, grabbed her pink sling bag and ran away, unaware that a thing fell off her bag while she was hastily zipping her bag.

"He-hey, lady!!!" I shouted.

Before I could get to her, she was already off, riding her bike. I was a bit disappointed not to be able to get her name.

I was about to go back from where I was seating a while ago before I got distracted, when suddenly my bare foot stepped on something small, and soft. I bend down and pick up the thing and raised it to eye level and examine it closely. Turns out, it was some sort of a ballerina's keychain, forming an image of a ballerina with her whole body supported on one leg with the other leg extended behind the body with the knee straight, posed in an arabesque position.

Athrun smiled and place the keychain inside his right pocket and proceeded to his canvas, thinking he might as well not finish his painting and continue it tomorrow, if fate was on his side, he might meet the blonde haired girl tomorrow and get the chance to ask her name.

About three days have passed, and I still haven't seen her at the beach. Everyday, after school I would immediately ride my bike and go there, for those days she has become my obsession, I would always look forward on meeting her. I don't know why I was that desperate.

On the 26th of October, I saw her again. Her feet were bare on the sand, she was still wearing her uniform and her sling bag lay lifeless on the sand ground. She intentionally left it their and searched for something on the sand, she was stooping down and I couldn't help but chuckle. Girls these days wore so short skirt that showed her pink panties, I blushed and look away in order to protect her modesty and my reputation as well.

In order to end her agony and the pain of stooping down for minutes, I decided to approach her, and maybe give back the thing that belongs to her.

"Ahhhhh, Cagalli you are so careless, if you haven't been so hasty to get away, you wouldn't have lost it!" Cagalli said to herself as she continued stooping down, with no care in the world, and again searched for her lost keychain. "It must have been covered in the sand already, it's been three days….." she was about to give up and go home when a voice called out to her, and briefly raised the thing in mid-air, inches away from her nose…….

"Hey!, is this what you're looking for lady?" Athrun said coolly with a tint of sarcasm in it.

Realizing that it was the thing she was looking for, Cagalli stood up and straighten up herself.

"uuhhmm…..yes that's mine, thank you…." Cagalli was about to reach for her keychain when Athrun shove the thing back into his pocket.

"Before I'm giving this back to you, I would like you to listen to me and answer my question", Athrun said as he look at her.

"Why would I answer and listen to you?" Cagalli stubbornly replied.

"It's like giving me a credit or a compensation for finding this thing…" he said as his hand began to shove in his pocket and get the thing and open his hand again for her to conclude that it was really the thing she lost and was looking for. " and keeping it for days".

"Nobody ask you to keep it"

Athrun was quite taken aback by her comeback and didn't expect for her reply to be like that.

" (sigh)…..well , might as well keep it then, since this is of no value to you" he said as he turn around and was about to shove the thing back in his pocket when……

"Okay, okay, fine." Cagalli said in defeat as she cross both her arms before her chest.

"Okay then, I'll start talking by introducing myself……………..I'm Athrun Zala" he said and bowed before the lady. "And you are?" he asked.

Cagalli just stared at him and said, "That's the question?" she asked, fully not understanding the situation, she didn't really expect that the boy would go too far in wasting his time for her to answer an easy question.

"I believe so"

"Are you sure that's all your going to ask me?"

"Do you want me to ask more?"

" Haha, no silly!!" she said those words with a smile on her face.

I never expected her to be so amiable, charismatic and easy to go with, she was so cheerful at that time , that I can't stop into wanting to ask her more, but since I told her that she's going to answer that one question, might as well look for another time, if fate would still allow "another time".

"I'm Cagalli Yula Atha" she said as she hold on to her tiny skirt and lifted it up not too high to show her panties again, but for her to do a curtsy.

Athrun chuckled at her childish act. Who would have thought she'd do something so childish? On the other hand, who says she isn't a child? A girl, twelve years of age is surely in the brink of childhood and adolescent, she can sometimes be a child and acts as an adult at the same time or vice-versa.

"So are we friends?" Athrun asked.

"You know, you've got some weird ways of making friends", she said while tucking a strand of her hair at the back of her ear and smiled.

I was dumbfounded at that time, I did nothing but stare at her. I think she was becoming to feel uncomfortable, so I decided to end our day by "trying" to say a goodbye, to her but before I was able to turn 90 degrees to the right she stopped me by apologizing.

"Uhm………. I'm really sorry about the way I was acting yesterday……"Cagalli said while fiddling with both of her fingers, "…..I-I didn't mean to push and ran away, I was actually…."

Before Cagalli could finish apologizing, Athrun cut her off….

"It's okay!" He said turning back to her and smiled. He leaned forward and whispered something into her ear, "by the way, call me Athrun". Athrun said it with a smile and left.

"Bye!!!!" He said as he waved his hand to her.

She waved her hand too, in response; strands of her hair are floating about in the air as the wind wave it off to the sides of her head. She didn't know the reason behind it, but somehow this day she made a friend.

_Athrun's Room:_

The night after my encounter with her, I couldn't concentrate in my studies, I wanted so badly to see her again and maybe talk to her more, even if it was the first time.

My elbows were pressed on my study table as my head was leaning on my palm. I flipped on every leaf of my Math book; words didn't seem to sink in my head, so I decided to turn the lamp off and proceeded to my bed. I lazily lie on my bed and I just stared at the ceiling waiting for sleep to come.

"Cagalli honey, get inside its nighttime already, you might catch a cold" Cagalli's mom shouted from her window on the second floor of their house. For 2 hours Cagalli just sat there at the balcony stairs, hugging her knees and stared at nothing or no one in particular.

"I'll be up there in a minute." She said as she took one glance at the full moon.

Two days already had gone by; both of us became best of friends. Everyday, when the bell rings, a signal that the last subject has ended, I would directly go to the exit door of our school then ride on my bike all the way to the beach to see her again. Compared to both of us, I would sometimes be the first one to arrive, and I would often sit on the sand and wait for her, sometimes I played hopscotch by myself, drawing vertical and horizontal lines to form the games boundary.

We talk a lot during those times, through her story I found out that she was the only child of her family, she said her dad past away because of an accident and her mom was the only one taking good care of her. On that same day, she told me about her dream and what she wants to be when she grows up.

"When I was four, I dreamt of becoming a professional ballerina, I would always skid around our front porch and do what ballerinas do on TV…." She said hugging both her knees and leaning her chin on her arm, and then looked at me and smiled. Her amber orbs was so hypnotizing that I couldn't stop staring at, aside Cagalli telling a story about her dream, it would also give a pretty much alibi to look at her without hesitating or any excuse on sneaking or catching a glimpse of her every now and then, her smile was so warm and cozy. I found out that day that her favorite subject in school was Math, oddly likes for an ordinary girl, but hey! at least I got someone to agree of that Math is something useful and can be very essential in reality.

The fact that she was telling me where she was originally born and when, it snapped me a thought that my birthday isn't until tomorrow. So I decided to invite her.

"Hey Cagalli, I forgot to tell you that my birthday isn't until tomorrow, and I was wondering if you would like to come…" Athrun said facing her and stood up and start searching for something in his briefcase. " I decided to save you an invitation card" Athrun said as he handed to her a piece of card. Cagalli started reading the inscriptions edited on the front and back, it was a simple invitation card, for Cagalli she thought it was very formal, most guys his age would go on cartoon spaceship and often times paste their favorite cartoon character.

"It also serves as a gate pass…" Athrun said as he pocketed both his hands inside his pocket.

"It's sort of a masquerade ball….a cotillion…" Athrun added. "So, are you coming? I really want you to be there…."

Athrun was hesitating to say this to her but somehow got the courage to blurt it out, since he really wanted her to be his partner for that day, his only chance of saying this to her would be now.

"…and be my partner….".

Cagalli bit her lips and said.

"Okay………. but I can't promise you, I still need to ask my mom." She said as she stood up and dusted a few sands off her skirt.

"Well, I just have to wait then…….." Athrun started to walk, but turn around……. "But still, it doesn't change the fact, that Athrun Zala wants Cagalli Yula Atha to be there, and that's a promise, I'll wait for you, even though you won't come" with that he darted off to his bike and didn't gave Cagalli the chance to talk.

_Friday night, October 29. 5:30 pm._

"Uhm, I'm not sure if it fit's me right" Cagalli said with a heap of disgust, as she look at herself in the mirror reflecting an oversize gown, that her mom used to own.

"How about these one honey." Her mom said as she search and showed her another type of gown she used when she was 20.

"Mom, do you have something that you wore when you were 13?"

"Ah, now that you've mention it, I used to keep this special one in the trunk…." her mom said as she went upstairs to the attic and came back with a gown in hand.

"My grandmother gave this to me when I had my first dance" her mom said remembering her past experiences and sharing it with her daughter.

They both sat on Cagalli's bed, her mom mostly the one sharing and Cagalli took the time to listen, because it is often that her mom shares something she values and kept, she tried to think that at least, even in this minute hour, they could spend a little mom and daughter chat.

7:00 pm

"Athrun, honey, it's time" his mom, Leonore Zala, said as she went in her son's room and saw Athrun in his tux, at the balcony, staring at the heavens, leaning his arms on the railing and sighed.

In his 13th birthday, his father couldn't attend, since he told his son that he had an important call from his office and that either he would be late or cannot attend at all.

Athrun was not bothered by this, as usual, since he's used to it. His father could never attend any of his birthday consecutively.

8:49 pm.

"(sigh), where is she?" Athrun said as he stood resolutely, glancing at the clock on the mantel. He was still in his room, as he refused to go outside without someone in particular he wants to accompany with.

His mom caught his constant glimpse and his anxiousness, so she asked him.

"Had she called you already?"

"NO she hasn't." Athrun said, quite depressed as he started glancing back again at the clock.

"I know she'll be here, she'll come." Athrun said to his mom, convincing her that Cagalli would come, even though his not sure himself.

"How about we'll wait for her at the ballroom, a lot of guest had already gathered, and I'm sure your friends are waiting there to see you too."

"Okay".

9:15 pm

Cagalli arrived late at the ballroom and was trying to make her way out of the crowd of dancers. She was having a hard time with her gown as she gathered some of its fabric in a fist and was looking for a seat to sit on. The dance had already started a few minutes ago, from where she was seated, she saw Athrun dancing with a brunette-haired girl.

She was a bit disappointed at herself for getting late, as usual, but proud at the same time as she was able to attend his birthday and kept her, seemingly, promise to Athrun.

Her gown was a black and blue heavens masquerade gown with a Jupiter inspired underskirt and gold curls, the color of her mask also accentuated her black and blue gown, which made both a perfect combination. Her blonde hair was fixed into a cascade braid, which shows some of her ivory skin shoulders at the front and some skin on her upper chest.

Cagalli just sat there, along with the other guest in the table, as all of them where silenced and just stared at the "couple" with the birthday boy, as Athrun and the girl do the solo dance.

As Cagalli was staring at them, she can't help but notice Athrun to be so handsome and good-looking in his tux, he looks so mature and often times acts as one, even in the dance floor, he kept his grace and poise as he led the girl into a waltz.

Cagalli can't help but feel another disappointment, but said to herself that it was her reward for being late and she can't blame Athrun for that, she said to herself that she should be thankful that Athrun invited her to his birthday party.

Minutes have passed and it seems that Cagalli was all alone in the table, a lot of kids had already gathered around Athrun, prodding him to open their gifts. With this whole commotion, it seems that the guest where the ones eager to open the present and not Athrun.

"Here Athrun! Open mine first"

"No mine first"

"Okay, okay, don't worry, I'll open all of them" Athrun said to his friends, like an older brother saying to the rest of the siblings.

Amongst the guest in the ballroom, Leonore can't help but notice a young lady sitting alone in the table, and was frantically staring at the pile of kids that had gathered around his son. As if feeling she was shy she proceeded to her and, maybe, encourage her to join the rest of the kids who were happily joining Athrun in the middle of the dance floor, all were seated on the ground including Athrun, who was in the middle.

"Hey there little girl" Leonore said pulling a chair and seated herself beside Cagalli.

Cagalli turned her head to the side to acknowledge the person who had called to her.

"What's your name? Leonore asked.

"Cagalli" Cagalli answered.

"You look so beautiful today Cagalli". Leonore said as she looks onto Cagalli's gown.

"Thank you, your very kind" with that she looked away and was staring again at the kids before her.

Sensing that the girl beside her wanted to join the kids, but was a bit shy, Leonore turn to her again and said.

"Don't you wanna join them?"

"Can I?"

"Of course, your part of this party right, and besides Athrun invited you, so he at least expects everybody he invited to have fun in his birthday, so come on, don't worry" with this Leonore pulled her out of her chair and walked towards the middle where the kids, along with Athrun, were laughing at a joke Athrun's friend shared.

Seeing that his mom was approaching, Athrun stood up, and showed her something his friend gave him.

"Mom! Look at what Charles gave me…." When Athrun saw who her mom was towing behind her, he suddenly remembered.

"Cagalli!"

"Oh, so you know her?" Athrun's mom asked.

"Yes I personally invited her here"

"Take good care of her honey, she's a bit shy" His mom said.

"Don't worry" with that Athrun's mom left the ballroom and went to where the adults are.

All eyes where staring at Cagalli and how Athrun was holding her hand. Athrun intertwined their hands as if afraid Cagalli might run away, because she was not familiar with anyone except him. As they where nearing the circle. Athrun introduced her to them.

"Everybody, this is Cagalli, I would like you all to meet her" All of them greeted her with a "hi", "hello", and some "please to meet you" as Athrun brought her into the circle and seated her in the middle beside him.

With all the greetings Cagalli just smiled and waved her hand shyly.

10: 30 pm

It was the time for them to go home and a lot of kids where now picked up by there parents, as they waved there goodbye's to Athrun, some of the girls kissed Athrun on the cheek to say their goodbye's to him, and Athrun just replied also with a kiss on the cheek.

Almost half of the guest went home ,and half of them stayed for the night, the Zala mansion was big enough to accommodate one family, some are Leonore's business partners with there children as Athrun's friends.

Those who stayed where still dancing with there partners and some started to eat again.

Cagalli was about to go home when Athrun called out to her.

"Cagalli wait!" Athrun said as he ran and approached her.

Cagalli stopped in her tracks and turn to see Athrun running towards her.

"Can you stay for an hour?" he asked

"Why?"

"There's something I want to tell and show you" Athrun said, as he grabbed her hand and lead her to a place in the garden, not giving Cagalli a chance to protest.

Minutes have passed and finally, Athrun and Cagalli arrived at their destination, found in the hidden side of the garden, where flowers bloomed it's wonders everywhere, dried leaves on the ground and a lot of vines cling onto the the entrance door, giving the place a tint of fantasy in it. A circular tiled floor was present in the middle; the floor was a tint of checkered white and black with either the shape of diamond or square. It was like a floor meant for dancing. And Cagalli knew why Athrun brought her here, or so she thought.

Athrun let go of her hand and stood at the middle where the tiles reflected the moons rays above them, and the flowers just gave off a beautiful sent.

He tilted his head in the air and breathed the natural scent of nature as the wind blew his hairs to the side of his face.

"Why did you bring me here?" Cagalli asked.

"Don't you know?"

"I Don't know" Cagalli said, but thought that she was here for one reason and that reason was no more a reason because she was late.

"You promised me a dance, right?" Athrun said as she grabbed her hand and led her to the middle.

"But, you've already danced with someone else and I sort of…" Cagalli tried to protest but was stop by Athrun's finger which landed on top of her lips to stop her from talking.

"True that I've dance with someone else, but it is also a fact that I've never get to dance with someone else I like to dance with" Athrun said as he placed a hand on Cagalli's waist and the other holding her hand.

"Come on, dance with me…." Athrun said encourage her to dance with him but somehow felt that Cagalli was letting him down by not coming in early. "Whatever you did a while ago, I forgive you, what matters now is that your here, with me………" and to encourage her further Athrun said, "it would be the best present I've ever had, and that would be to dance with you, so come on, I'll regret what I've said if you won't." He said looking at her and so, Cagalli couldn't refuse. She placed her purse on the foot of the rail and headed towards Athrun.

Cagalli was a bit regretful for being late and still Athrun forgave her for that. And so to patch things up, she danced with him for 15 long minutes, even with absence of music, but for Athrun it feels as though there is no need for one as both of them dances with the wind on the warm starry night.

While both of them are so much engorge on each others arms, Cagalli's phone rang signaling that someone or somebody left a note in her message box.

Distracted by the sound, both of them halted as Cagalli picked up her purse and saw a message in her cell phone.

"_Honey it's almost eleven o' clock, where are you?" -MOM_

"I think I have to go, my mom's already worried" Cagalli said as she deposited her phone back to her purse.

"Okay, my chauffer will drive you home" Athrun plainly said.

"Athrun, I'm really sorry for being late, I didn't mean for it to happen…" Cagalli once again apologized.

"I told you its okay, I forgive you, what do you think I am, an ice prince who can't forgive someone with minor fault issues?" Athrun said as he pokes his finger on Cagalli's forehead.

"Ow, I didn't say that!" Cagalli said while rubbing the part with the back of her hand and chuckled. "Well, gotta' go!" unconsciously Cagalli kissed Athrun on the cheek and brusquely turn around to grab her purse and was about to head to the chauffer when Athrun, quickly, hold on to her elbow, turned her around facing him, cupped her face and kissed her straight to her lips with passion.

Cagalli just stood there; shock by what Athrun did, digesting what had occurred to her. Butterflies where in her stomach as she melt away by Athrun's soft kiss on her lips, without hesitation she kissed him back with the same fervor.

For a 13 and a 12 year old kid, this instance would sure be a memory you don't want to throw away.

Even though it was the first time he ever kissed a girl, it felt as if he knew how to, for Athrun it seems as though their lips are like a piece of puzzle that is place rightly in the board.

Cagalli, on the other hand tilted her head to the side so that Athrun's lips will be full on hers, both of them explored their lips as both of their tongues move into a fiery dance with each other. What was once a simple kiss turns out to be a passionate one as Cagalli made a muffled sound suggesting that she's running out of air.

When both of them were about to lose their breaths, they parted and a tint of red where evident on their face, as if realizing what a big, serious thing they have done, good thing no one was in sight to see what they have done that should ought not to be exercise by kids their age.

"I-Im sorry, I shouldn't have done that" Athrun said feeling a bit regretful of what had done; he knew that kissing is a major no no, especially when he's too young for it, and besides, for him it's immoral to be doing it in such a young age, but he can't deny the urge to kiss Cagalli, it's what he felt strongly for the first time he met her, you can't blame him for being in love and expressing it to her with a passionate kiss, can you?

Cagalli just chuckled and said, "It's okay, like what you said, it's a reward or a compensation for forgiving me for being late, maybe my first kiss would also serve as my present to you, since I haven't got the time to buy you any".

Athrun was a bit shocked by her reply and took it nicely to himself.

Placing a fast kiss on his lips, Cagalli whispered to his ear, "At least you won't be bugging me for a late birthday present . Happy Birthday Athrun.

Athrun stared at her and said, "On second thought, this would be the best gift I've ever receive from anybody."

"Well, goodnight!" Cagalli said as she waved her arm at him and placed herself inside the car.

"Goodnight too!!!"………."Cagalli…"


	2. Lost

2nd Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam seed nor its characters, but I certainly own this storyline, so sue not!

Athrun's POV (2 days later):

I don't know what my heart really yearns and feels for at that day. I was so ecstatic and anxiously happy about what had suddenly transpired in my life. I never knew these wish would someday present itself, in some way I'll never felt regretful of succumbing. I'm quite taken aback of thinking what might happen next, to both of us.

Recently I've been asking myself a lot of questions, addressing it somewhere to my heart. Am I in-love? Does love feels this way? I'm still a kid, why should I be so engross and have felt this kind of sensation at such a young age? Or maybe I just felt excited because, at last! I have met a girl friend out in the circle of socialite guild. A friend that would somehow take me and show me to a new world of revelation, a world different from mine.

It has always been my longing to know and someday taste the other world, a world of diversity brought about and brings about its cutting edge in society where individuals are defined by their social status.

But here in Orb, it's not quite evident yet, not much, but it's starting.

I leaned forward on the balcony, resting my bosom on both curled arms positioned beside each other which was resting on top of the soft, marble rail. I felt the air tug at my hair as if it was combing my midnight blue locks.

I sighed as I gaze at the gazebo below my balcony, seeing a small tear of liquid drop from a rose's petal.

The morning sun was about to rise, it's ray shone in the horizon, it lightly lit the vines and potted plants in the gazebo and the tear-drops twinkle and mirrored the light casting away the shadows of the night and any remnants of darkness.

The sun's ray was lighting everything it passes and bear no exclusions on Athrun's white, pristine shirt and blue pajamas. Athrun blink into the rays of the morning sun.

Glancing at his wristwatch, it was already 6:15 in the morning, he still has enough 45 minutes to get ready before he'll get late for school and ,maybe, if he's "lucky" enough, he might get his first detention due to tardiness.

Athrun stretch out his hand in the air and breathe once more the morning air before retreating back to his room and closing the glass door of the balcony and proceeded to the bathroom to change and take a warm bath.

6:25 a.m

After my morning shower, I was all set and ready for breakfast. I trotted downstairs to the main hall passing thru a cluster of family portraits hung on each block, the walls leading towards the lengthy, glass table in the dining hall where I descried my mom sitting on a chair to the far right side of the table eating breakfast and my dad at the far end of the table, so engross on reading the daily news in newspaper which led in leaving his bacon and eggs unattended and half eaten.

I stride towards my mom and surprised her with a kiss on her left cheek behind her, as a mornings greeting to her, in response she cupped my left cheek with her right hand and kiss the other. I passed by my Father but not before I bowed and said my mornings greeting to him in which he replied with a single nod and went back reading the newspapers.

6:38 a.m

After finishing my breakfast I fetch my briefcase and my suit and headed towards my personal chauffer, Edward Ross, and duck towards the inside of the limo that was immediately closed by him. We were about to depart when Edward halted the car, seeing my mom coming towards us.

I opened the black, tinted window and suddenly inquired, "What is it mom?"

Leonore bend a little and trusted her weight on both her knees as she placed both her hands on each knee as she talk to Athrun eye-level. "Your father wants to talk to t you after school, he affirmed that he wants you to go home early this afternoon at lunch…..

Athrun was inquisitive why he's father suddenly wants to talk to him and what would it be about, "_is it this important that he would disrupt my lunch time for this_? Athrun thought. And to assert he's inquisitions his mom finally said as to make her previous statement more convincing to her son, as she already knew his son might wonder.

……he said it's important".

"_He said it was important? What would this be about?_" Athrun thought and replied, "I will", after he kissed his mom goodbye and closed the car window. The chauffer bowed his head and left after saying "we'll be off now Ma'am".

7:10

That morning, the class wasn't so silent and our English teacher was off towards the teacher's council room having a meeting regarding who knows what, instead of letting us wonder around in class doing nothing, she left us a chunk of note, boldly written on the board that says we have to finish reading Shakespeare's tragic story of Elsinore's prince, Hamlet.

Sad to say, a number of students didn't even care to read and just ignored what the teacher left for us to accomplish. But truth be told, a number of them aren't that much fond of classic history, much more reading Shakespeare's Hamlet to which, to them, it would take a lifetime to fully understand what each sentence really meant, somehow the words are in anagram which you need to ravel and "decode". It's like the works of a magician, whose secrets are written in enciphered diaries. They said it was a waste of time and talent that only smart, classical people are fitful for those kinds of jargon.

I myself wasn't excuse of not doing my part in reading. I also shared my excuse of being not in the mood. Even Mr. Perfect at times fails to be perfect. It's not that I don't like reading and of course I understood quite clearly what I'm reading, it's just that I'm not in the air of reading classic stories as of now, my thoughts are still occupied of what my father would be talking about later.

I sighed as I let my eyes to wander inside my thoughts and left the pages of the book to be cast by the wind, flipping each page by page.

At lunchtime, Edward and I rode back to the Zala mansion as requested by my father. The limo turned a little to the right to the parking lot in the mansion. I stepped out and walked towards the dining hall. I seated myself comfortably with both my parents present at the table. We quietly ate lunch that afternoon before proceeding to the parlor hall to have our conversation.

That afternoon, mom kept worriedly whispering to father about something and father would always give her a statement or two, I'm really ill at ease of what this conversation is all about and why it involve me somehow, but again "time can only tell" what is up stored for me that afternoon.

As I sat on the couch, I fidget a little as my mom and father came in after me and sat opposite to my chair. Mom sitting right beside father and dad sitting and leaning one of his arm to the couch's arm rest, as I look at father I can't stop thinking that he still bear the face of a man worn out of war, a man whose been living his life in military, stern and serious.

That day I never felt so lonely to be here, I fell so distant to my father; his eyes are nothing like mine, he never smiled at me the way he smiled at mom, had he ever felt happiness in me? Am I a worthy son to the Zala's? Am I worth the heirlooms? Am I even the worthy heir to this household? Does my father feel the way I feel now? Has he ever had this kind of feeling, a feeling of unworthiness, goo-for-nothing feeling when he was a child like me?...

………But then on the brighter side, had he ever felt this kind of happiness inside of me? It would be unfair to him if I compare him this much, I was a different child than what he was before, I was never like Patrick Zala, whose ambitions are like games in which it is easily played, sad to say I am one of the effigy of his game and I'm guessing this time, he is out ready to introduce me and play me inside the board, I have no choice but to comply, since in the beginning, he's the only one who knew how to play and his hands are the only one who knew the tactics and mechanics. If I were to figure this, I would be worn out figuring, so better let my fate rest in his hands………………………………………for now.

I listened closely, as my mom softly talks to me like a mother should in a conversation with her child.

"Honey, it's over a year now and finally you've turned 13, as you know, the Zala's have been holding this kind of custom for generations…." Leonore informed after Patrick cut in.

"And as a child of the Zala's, you are to abide in this custom and take your part….." Patrick was not finish yet when Athrun suddenly buzzed in.

"What part?" Athrun said with a hint of confusion present in his voice, each passing minute, Athrun would guess where this conversation is leading to.

"The parts of associating with arrange_ marriage_" Patrick said flatly and continued, "The girl you are to be associated with belongs to the family Fortesque….."

"_I can't believe it! I'm engage! I'll be forever bond to this women I don't even know!" _ Thought Athrun as he began to look down at his shriveled fingers and not have the courage to look at his father in the eye, "I'm_ trap in a predicament I can never break"._

Seeing her son's abash visage, Leonore cut in while Patrick was still in the middle presenting to his of how this marriage is important and how the family Fortesque had been loyal to the Zala's, instead of continuing to babble he stopped hearing Leonore.

"She's a very sweet girl honey and you'll love her" His mom, Leonore, assured his son that the Fortesque girl will be a worthy partner to Athrun. Even though Athrun had doubts whether that girl will ever be worthy for him. But for his family's sake and for the Zala reputation, he had no other choice but to agree, agree even if it is not of his decision and his will to comply.

After our conversation my father readied himself on going to the Airport, he said they'll be going back to PLANT's to settle the arrangement with the Fortesque and to further discuss this marriage along with Leonore.

Leonore stayed for a while and hugged Athrun before saying that she was glad to have his son agreed on this, she said this marriage would be worth it and that this predicament was same as hers when she was young and arrange to the Zala's which eventually led her to marrying Patrick and having a son that someday would join their legacy, but unfortunately, Athrun doesn't have the same cheer as his mom would, he was just too different, even though he much resembles Leonore, he admitted that both of them have different perspectives in some point such as this.

"_If only she can be her_" Athrun thought as he leaned his head further to the headrest of the car seat as he waited for his car to halt, affirming that they arrived again in school to finish the rest of today's classes before he'll be meeting Cagalli again in their usual place and spend more time with her, since he'll be lock-up with somebody else in the future.

A/N: For information sake, Cagalli and Athrun don't go to the same school.

Cagalli's POV (after school 5:47 p.m):

I sat on the soft, coffee sand and watch as the sun was beginning to set. It was 5:39 p.m and classes already ended minutes ago.

"_It was already dusk and Athrun hasn't arrive yet, usually, he's always been the one early and I being the tardy one" _Cagalli thought, as she scribbled her name on the sand starting from a curve C then-A-G-, "_at least this will keep me entertained for awhile, until Athrun arrives"._

A/N: another note incase you might get confuse. You might wonder why Athrun is using his bicycle and not his personal chauffer to drive him towards his destination, well; it's because he leaves his personal bicycle in school and uses it as he's means of transportation to the beach, and actually, only Edward knows of his "little escapade".

Athrun's POV:

As I rode on my blue bike towards the beach, I can't help myself to think of the engagement my parents put me _through_ that afternoon. For some odd reasons, this engagement might led to me being cage away from my newly found happiness, I might not be able to talk or even meet with Cagalli when the time comes when that Fortesque girl mingles with me.

"_No! This won't happen, I'm not about to be cage because of that engagement_!" Athrun thought to himself as he found that this engagement might lead him far from seeing Cagalli and worse, they might not let him speak to her anymore. "_I'm not gonna' worry about this, what's important is that my newly-found friend is not going anywhere_".

Athrun continued on riding his bike to the beach to meet with Cagalli once again, convincing himself that **everything** will stay the same as it should be, he'll be meeting Cagalli sooner, so why need to worry?

(8 minutes later)

"Finally! I better park this thing". Letting the bike lean on a small coconut tree as Athrun started searching for a blonde-haired girl in the horizon of sand.

After minutes of searching, he finally found her, sitting on the sand with her harlequin bag and her pair of shoes and socks lying beside her, like me, she was still on her school uniform and her short skirt showed off her legs, **again**. She was leaning on a big rock near the sea but enough distance as to not get her wet and distracted by what she was doing, it seems that a notebook lay lifeless on her lap as she was biting the pencils head, thinking deeply, and if a thought had pop into her head, she starts scribbling something on her notebook.

She's so sweet, cute and innocent in a way she does things unconsciously, she entertains me so well. If my classmates and teachers where to ask me "what my favorite past time would be?" I will answer them honestly, without a doubt and in a matter of second, "staring on a certain blonde-haired girl"; they might think my answer would be some kind of a movie title, or a talk show, but it's up to them to comprehend what I'm trying to mean.

Not letting the moment pass, Athrun's right hand was now inside the pocket of his backpack searching for something he might deem important.

Athrun was keeping his distance away from Cagalli as to not startle the blonde of what he's going to do.

_Click_

Athrun took a photo of Cagalli still leaning on the rock, her pony-tailed-hair brush off by the wind and small traces of her locks are slightly covering her eyes, she was still biting on the pencils head with a pouty expression, but nonetheless cute and beautiful, 2 in 1, which made this photo good for reminiscing moments of her in such expression.

Cagalli was outright bored of **carving** names in the sand, names that were important to her she has written on the sand, including Athrun's name written in full, so she decided to sit for a while and get her notebook from her bag and lean on the big rock, fetching her pencil in the pencil case and was now starting to sketch something on the piece of leaf.

(8 minutes later)

"There! All done", she excitedly said to herself and was now scanning her piece of art, with both her arms stretch forward., she was able to examine her chibi doodles of her and Athrun holding each others hand and was facing forward with a piece sign, facing as if there was a camera man taking a picture.

She smiled at her piece of handiwork and traces the "Athrun doodle" with her index fingers and outlined Athrun's face.

Assuming that she was all alone and no one else was watching her from a distance, Cagalli kiss the "Athrun doodle" imagining it as if she was kissing the real person and started talking to it, "you're not really that perfectly drawn, in fact, your far from perfect and the real Athrun, but at least you're here listening to me" she talk to the lifeless doodle of Athrun lying on her lap as she folded her hands and started tracing his face again, "sigh" she sighed and started talking to it again, " where are you?, it's way pass 6:20……."

"I'm right here"

Cagalli was completely shock when she heard her doodle responding to her, but brush-off the idea when she peered over her left shoulder and found Athrun lying, with his back in the air and his chest leaning on his arms, bend on a vertical position and was lying on top of the rock, he was resting his chin on his knuckles and was smirking at Cagalli on how implausible her actions where.

In response, Cagalli swung her head back to her doodle and blush; she can't believe she did that with Athrun at the back of the rock listening to her seemed lunacy.

"Oh sorry, didn't see you there" Cagalli said and started putting back her things into the bag, including her notebook which she use as a sketch pad to draw her doodles, but was stopped by Athrun when he seated next to Cagalli and was now leaning on the big rock.

"May I see?"

"No, you'll just laugh at it"

"Laugh? Of course I won't, why would I?"

"Because it's not nicely drawn, and I'm not an artist" she muttered under her breathe the last part.

"Do you really think I'll laugh at peoples work? Cagalli, I'm not that kind of person" he declared and was able to take hold of the notebook that Cagalli decided to unwillingly give.

"Is this me?" Athrun buzz pointing out to the doodle of a boy beside the long-haired girl, "and this is you" he said, more of informing her, to which Cagalli nodded in response.

"Honestly, it's cute!" he added, offering the book to her in a manner that Athrun was eyeing her whether she would be convinced of his last statement.

Cagalli stood up and dabbed some sand from her skirt and ironed her suit with her hands. "By the way, what took you so long to get here?" she manage to ask from the boy now standing in front of her.

"Usually, you'd either be too early or right on time, so what made our time-conscious little boy late?" she scowled at the boy in front of hers who seems to be deep in thought and was spacing out.

"Hey-" she was calling his attention.

"Huh? What?..."

"You spaced out" she informed, her tone implying him as if it was the obvious thing.

"I'm…..really sorry" Athrun apologized and turned the other way to get Cagalli's backpack, he lifted it and placed both straps on both of his shoulders and turned around to face her.

"Tell you what…"pocketing his hands in his trousers, "as an apology for being late I'll treat you for a snack, would that be okay?"

Cagalli can't believe her ears; it seems that throughout her life, aside from her family and some girlfriends, Athrun was the very first guy to ask her out for a treat, she was such a hermit in her school that you can't blame the boys for not having the guts or even the gall to bother treating her in her free time. In some ways than one, she was trying to avoid those kinds of giddy things that mostly girls her age would clearly define as a social appointment or occasion arrange beforehand with another person, commonly known as a "_**date**_", but as of now you cannot turn down such an offer, especially from a boy you thought there would be so much more than meets the eye, to Cagalli, Athrun's plainly a capricious person; the things he does are unpredictable.

Without thinking, Cagalli happen to ask the most stupid question ever in the list of the most stupid questions ever ask when a person asks you out, "Is it free?"

Her question was answered by a fitful she received from the boy. "Of course it is, it's a TREAT, you know, you get to pay the BILL for someone else" he informed her saying it with a chuckle.

Cagalli was quite mad of being humiliated and laugh at for the first time by a guy who _seemed to be _her friend, "_If this is the way he treats people who happens to commit a tiny mistake, then it would be more fitful to state the mistake and then period, not laugh at her as if she was the most dense person to ever walk on this earth_".

Cagalli march pass Athrun with a "hmpfh" and was planning on changing her mind and take down the offer, leaving the boy to his amusement.

Realizing that Cagalli was no longer in front and was marching away from him, Athrun stumbled back a little because the sea water has come up and the sand was clamping down at his school shoes.

"H-hey! Wait a minute", Athrun said staggering back a little due to the sand now fully sheltering his right shoe. Continuing on getting away from him, Cagalli didn't even care or is pretending to be deaf. She march pass Athrun with a "hmpfh" and was planning on changing her mind and take down the offer, leaving the boy to his amusement.

Finally catching up to her, Athrun grasp her elbow and made her turn to him. "Cagalli, I'm sorry…" he said as he hugged her, "…I didn't mean to be rude". Cagalli hugged him back and muttered an assurance that she forgive him.

Athrun's thought:

"From _that instance, I knew she was so vulnerable in the smallest of things, she could easily be taken aback by a single statement, a statement meant to be a hoax. I knew then that I should be careful of what I'm going to say, she could be so vulnerable in some ways you think she could be._"

Normal POV:

" Getting you in the bad mood makes me think that I should double-up my treat!" he said cheerfully facing her, as both of them made their way out of the sandy grounds and was now seating on a bench in a bus station, leaving their bicycles to lean on the coconut tree and saying they'll get it later.

It was already 7:11 p.m in the evening when they arrived in Athrun's favorite French restaurant. As they walk pass the sliding glass door, Cagalli can't help but ogle and mouth a "wow", throughout her life she had never been in a fancy and premium restaurant before, much to her likings, cheapo sidewalk fast-food chains are the once she considered as first-class in her opinion. But this…………this is something she has got to try, and to top it all off, she got to eat here for free, thanks to Athrun.

She had been gaping for a few minutes and whispering to Athrun how much she likes the ambiance and the atmosphere. The Victorian chandelier was her favorite which resides in the VIP section of the dining hall. When Athrun notice her staring for a whole 5 minutes on the chandelier he decided that both of them will stay on the VIP section for her sake.

"Don't worry…" he said to Cagalli as they were being led by the lackey to one of the tables in the VIP section, "you get to stare at it as long as you want." Realizing that Athrun had caught her in her little act, she blushed and looks at the walls instead.

She was just amaze of the life that came over in such a beautiful place, there was so much jolly and merry-making in some way the socialites handle it with their elegance. Everything was so "expensive" on her part that even the chair they get to seat on in the VIP section made her look like a princess that wasn't properly dress for the occasion …..LITERALLY.

Since Athrun get to afford the most expensive section in the dining hall, the two of them were the only inhabitants of that place and at that moment Cagalli felt shy.

That night, the waiter approached them and greeted them with a warmly greeting of welcome; he even greeted Athrun in his last name, beside him was a tall man in suit to which Athrun stood up from his seat and shook hands with, it seems that he was the owner of the restaurant.

The owner came from a line of purely French breeds, you can add, you can see it from the way he dress and how many times he slicks his mustache, now looking like a pair of hairy horn of a bull under his nose. Of course, one thing you can never missed out a person that you can easily pin- point him as French when you get to he

When he was done shaking hands with Athrun, the man in suit realized that Athrun was not alone and was eyeing Cagalli, he inquired. "Why! Who must be this fine lady with you master Athrun?" he asked while making his way towards Cagalli, in which Cagalli stood up and bowed her head, "Pierre-Louis Lefe'vre….." he introduced himself while clasping Cagalli's long fingers and kissing the back of her palm, " always a pleasure to meet fine lady's such as you are."

"_Athrun might be a constant guest here, since the waiter and the owner knew him too well and suggested something to Athrun that he would get the same food that he would always go for"_ Cagalli thought. After Mr. Lefe'vre's accosting with Cagalli, he informed Athrun that he's best be off to his office, "still got some job to do." He said and without any minute, he was off.

After seeing his boss leaving the waiter gave out the menu to both of them. Cagalli felt a pang of confusion to the list of food she is unfamiliar to, even the word "carte du jour" which she thought might be the French word for menu, seems so senseless to her, at that moment she prayed that she should have listen intently to her speech teacher when they were taught French in class when she was a 6th grader.

She felt more dolorous when the waiter was asking for her request for food she might think like having, when she can't think, _or rather_ read any, she requested the same entrée that Athrun was having.

7:38 p.m

After a minute of waiting their dish finally arrived on trays and was now placed on the table to their respective diners, according to Athrun, the treat would not be complete without the presence of wine; but since they were minors and too young to get drunk, he ordered grape wine instead.

When the food was placed in front of Athrun, he can't help but smile, "mmmmm, my favorite!" he said as he began to place the table napkin in his lap and hold unto the cutlery's and was about to eat when he notice Cagalli staring at the food as if she saw parts of a human anatomy being served raw, but actually she was thinking deeply, referring to herself, on how ambitious and ignorant she is in front of the waiter and maybe on Athrun, when suddenly Athrun inquired her and stopped her web of thoughts.

"What's the matter? Don't you like it?" Athrun asked worriedly and felt hurt and insulted when he saw Cagalli losing her appetite on his favorite dish.

"No, it's not that, you're taking it the wrong way…." She said waving her hands in front of her in defense and smiled when she said those words, as if to ease Athrun's worries and wrong idea, " it's just that, I felt like an idiot a while ago and…." She was about to continue when Athrun chimed in….

"You weren't acting like an idiot, and why should you be? There's no good reason why you should act like one." Athrun said and felt sorry for butting in when she was not yet done talking. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to but in, it's just that I don't want you calling yourself an idiot, it's just not right."

"Actually, I said that because I never really knew of the food listed on the menu, I know that you expect me to know, but it seems that I'm not that kind of person who likes to listen during speech class and somehow I insulted you by taking the same dish as yours, which is not suppose to be when you're the one treating, and I want to apologize for that." She said and slightly bowed her head to Athrun.

Athrun on the other hand tried to stop her from bowing, but was too late when she had done it, but decided to talk his way out of it instead. "No please don't bow, it's like I'm a kind of guy who can't forgive a girl with minor fault issues, really, it's okay, in fact, I'm glad you decided to have the same as mine, to tell you the truth since it's my favorite dish, I wouldn't have plans on sharing it with you, but since it's a treat, I'll give exceptions." He said and encourages Cagalli to taste his favorite delicacy.

Cagalli abrade a spoonful of the food and placed it inside her mouth. "mmmmm, it sure is delicious! What's it called?"

"Caponata alla Sicilliana!" he declared in a French accent and both continued on with their evening "treat".

7:58 p.m

After the meal, Cagalli stood up from her seat and march towards the chandelier below it, in the middle of the room, she tilted her head upward to get a better look of the chandeliers intricate design and glass stones that hung on its hook which flickered and reflected the yellow lights of the restaurant.

Since it was almost closing time, there were a few people left in the dining hall, some chatting away the last remaining minutes and others were just waiting for the waiters to hand them there cheques so that they could leave.

In the last remaining minutes the jazz instrumentalist favored their customers with their last song for the night. Some people had gathered up in the middle with their partners and dance with the music. It was a silent music that is meant for intimate moments of some sort. Athrun, finishing his last spoon, dabbed his lips with the table napkin and stood up, walking towards Cagalli and maybe offer her a last dance with him.

Cagalli, now standing at the side and eyed the couples in the middle of the floor with such interest, didn't notice that Athrun was approaching her direction, before she notice, someone had placed himself behind her and leaned his lips into the back of her right ear and whispered….

"May I do the honor of being your last dance for tonight my lady?"

Cagalli felt a shiver from her spine and a tickling sensation from her ear, where Athrun's breathe brushed an air into the back of her earlobe, she could feel him behind her and blush a little at the contact. She saw his hand reaching out to her as if asking her to place her hand in his.

"Why, certainly young sir!" she said as she placed her hand in his, earning a smile from Athrun as he started to lead them both in the dance floor where the other couples were dancing. Athrun placed both of his hands unto Cagalli's hips and grabbed her hands and hooked it around his neck in which Cagalli blushed but went unnoticed by Athrun as they swayed to the rhythm of the music.

Amongst the crowd, who were dancing their night away, and people snuggled into the arms of their beloved, Athrun and Cagalli were the only ones to have experienced dancing with a high school student as his and her partner, amongst them, they were the only minors dancing their night away without a care in the world, but when you're in the dance floor neither would care how old you were or where you're from, it's not the venue nor the music being played that matters, but who your dancing with makes the other reasons important, Athrun knew this too well, his private teacher in etiquette also taught him the art of dances, he taught him that the main course of the dance and the most important element in dancing is when your dancing with the person you want to dance with, a person who you can easily express your emotions too, dancing is not all about the moves and grooves, it's also about intimacy and knowing your partner well, without the cooperation of each, a dance will not b considered a dance, it would look blatant, devoid of any emotions that makes it unrealistic and cannot be felt by the audience, it's about expressing to someone, who in some way, can express the same.

Athrun stared at Cagalli while they were both dancing, Cagalli on the other hand still felt a bit unused to Athrun being so close, much more him, feeling his warm hands on her waist made her look the other way around as to not fall unto Athrun's gaze and to be trapped in his emerald green eyes, but Athrun planned on reverting her attention back to him….

"What are you thinking?" he said abruptly and leaned his forehead onto Cagalli when she reverted her attention back to him. His moments here with her made him forget his worries and even his betrothal to the Fortesque girl. Cagalli smiled at his concern to her and having now the courage to lean further unto his forehead.

" Nothing…..". Both sighed and closed their eyes and dance to the music.

8: 11 p.m

When the instrumentalists were done with their last song, they bid the customers goodbye and wished that they have a goodnight.

Cagalli and Athrun went back to their table and grabbed each of their bag and was about to go out when Athrun said he forgot something and asked Cagalli to wait for a sec., Cagalli eyed Athrun talking to one of the restaurant's waiter, handing his camera to him. He went back to their table and asked Cagalli to stand in front of him, while he encircled his arms around her waist and leaned his chin on her left shoulders, Cagalli blushed and was confused at Athrun's actions and eyed the waiter coming towards them holding the camera in his hand, in front of him about to take a click.

"Smile", Athrun said and Cagalli complied by leaning further unto Athrun's chest and smiled warmly.

"_Click_"

After saying thanks to the waiter, Athrun and Cagalli hurried towards the bus station, going back to the beach, where they both left their respective bicycles.

" It's already 8:28 p.m, knowing Edward, he'll start looking for me as of this moment." Athrun said facing Cagalli who is seated next to him in a bus.

"Don't you think your parents will start worrying too?"

"No, they don't know a thing about this, only Edward does, and besides, their up in PLANT's doing _business _"Athrun smiled and Cagalli smiled back, leaning her head unto Athrun's left shoulders.

"Thank you for the treat Athrun, I had fun". Cagalli said as she was about to doze off when she heard Athrun's reply, "you're welcome, I had fun too", and with that she kissed Cagalli on the forehead and placed his head on top of hers as he too was dozing off to slumber.

8: 41 p.m

They arrived at the beach and saw Edward coming out of the limo, worry plastered on his face. Athrun and Cagalli move their way to Edward.

"Master Athrun, I suggest that we go home now or your parents might call on the phone, they might wonder why you haven't gotten home yet, forgive me for chiming in, but it's only for your safety." Edward said as he bowed his head to Athrun.

"I'm really sorry for getting you all worried, but as you can see, I'm fine, without a scratch." Athrun said as he shrugged.

"Uhm, I think I'll better head home too, my Mom might be a bit worried, seeing that I haven't arrived yet." Cagalli said as she head unto towards her bicycle.

"I'll drive you home." Athrun offered.

"If it's okay with you, because I don't wanna' be a burden….." she was about to continue when Edward chimed in, "It would be rude for us to let a girl walk home by herself at this time of hour, and I think Master Athrun would agree so too."

"Well, okay…" and then she bowed her head for their gratitude, "Thank you!".

8:57 p.m

They drove in the silence of the night as Cagalli was leading Edward to the direction of her house. "My house is near the 2nd Pier alongside the storage area, 1st block then turn right….." they came to a halt as the car arrives in its designated destination. Cagalli grabbed her bag and duck out of the limo, while Athrun opened the other door and exited the other way around, not waiting for Edward to open it for him. Edward carried Cagalli's bike from the trunk and gave it to her.

Athrun stood before Cagalli and was waiting for Edward to get inside the car, for them to have a little privacy. Not a minute after Edward was inside did Athrun bid his goodnight's to Cagalli.

"Thank you for driving me home…."

"You're welcome" he looked at her as the wind brushed her blonde hair and small tresses flowed and covered a little of her amber eyes.

"If you could grant me a last favor, would you mind saying my thanks to Edward as well? He's done a lot for us today and I'm sure he's quite tired."

"I will, I also would like to say my fare share of thanks to him too, he's a very caring and loyal person, got a lot of things to be thankful for he's service and I bet he's done something out of what he's job is suppose to bid" He said as both of them faced to the direction of the car and was eyeing the old man's silhouette behind the tinted, glass window.

"Well, goodbye." she said as she tiptoed a little and placed a small, chaste and quick kiss on Athrun's lips. Athrun was surprise of her action but wave his hand and said he's goodbye to Cagalli.

"Bye Cagalli!" He shouted as she saw Cagalli stepping onto the sand and trotted towards her cabin home. Cagalli waved back at Athrun as she held onto the screen wooden door and disappeared as she went inside of it. Athrun slowly duck his head as he enters again the inside of the limo car and drove away.

Throughout the night, the drive was silent as the metal gate of the Zala mansion opened for the limo to enter; the newly shifted guards for the night bowed their heads as they saw the private vehicle of the Zala's and in it is the Zala heir waiting for them to open the door for him.

Athrun's POV:

A grin was present on my face as I strode my way into the mouth of the mansion door, the other guards tailing behind me and Edward was on my left, ever since my arrival here in the mansion, everything felt not in place, I can sense that even the household staffs has their own hidden agenda, there something important their not telling me, I can sense it.

I turned my head towards Edward, mentally asking him what was happening, my personal guards where leading me to the parlor hall and not in my bedroom.

When I arrived at the parlor hall, my aunt Clara from Aprilius was present and she immediately stood up when she saw me. The first time I saw her when we were having a vacation in Aprilius, she was so lively and nonchalant, every time when your with her you felt at ease, she's my aunt from my mother's side, guess they have this sort of charisma with them that has been pass out from generations to generations, you feel happy but now I don't know what I'm feeling, seeing her in this worn out and frustrated state gives you the impression that she had been crying a while ago, with her beat-up state she ran unto me and hugged me so tightly and sobbed on my shoulders.

"_Something that had happened that they are not telling me yet". _

"Uhm, hi aunty! Something the matter?" I asked as I look at her once more. She sobbed again and dabbed the handkerchief she was carrying a while ago into her teary eyes, she continued sobbing and wiping her tears away from her eyes that she didn't seem to had heard my inquiries a while ago, so I ask her again……… "Aunty?" She heard me this time and finally talked to me.

"It's your parents, (sob), on their way back here in Orb……." she sobbed and cried harder this time, she can't seem to blurt out the words that she importantly needed to say to me, I knew those words are hurting her as much as I am, but I need to hear those words, somehow those are the key importance of her statement a while ago, something bad had happened that involved my parents and I don't like every second of it, every second I felt hurt and fear inside, something that had torn me even though I had yet to discover it, it's as if one of my worst fears would come true, everything I have speculated in my thoughts are becoming more and more a reality.

"…….they've involved themselves in a Plane crash this afternoon" my heart sank six feet under, I back out a little and came into contact with the cold wall, I couldn't believe my parents are gone forever, they've left me to live on my own now, "My parents? Mom and Dad?" I sunk and held my head with both my hands as tears are cascading into my cheeks, my cheeks felt moistened with the tears that had flowed. " a while ago the police had recovered both your parents body and had confirmed that it was really them on that Plane" I burst out all my frustrations and cried allowed, I can no longer bare the information's she's giving me, I ache so much, the pain is eating me bit by bit.

My aunty ran unto me, she kneeled and hugged me tightly once again, she burst and cried too, we both felt pain for the love ones we'd lost this day. I clung unto her for support, my mind's becoming dizzy because of crying, an hour ago I felt happy and then suddenly the fates had struck me with this dream I can no longer wake up from.

"_Why can't the fate's, for once, continue to give me joy and happiness for just a day_!" I cried once more into her arms as the rain pelted slowly outside the window, they felt my pain, our pain that enabled her to cry with us.

That minute, I didn't know what to do anymore; I just cried and cried till all my tears would come dry. "_My parents have left me_."

A/N: I'm sorry if there are any grammatical errors or erroneous encoding.

Thank you for taking your time in reading my fic., it took me weeks and sleepless nights to finish this one chapter and I would much appreciate it if you would review, you can even send me a constructive comment, I would be much delighted to have someone care for me to have go that far in correcting me in my error/s, it's much appreciated. Thank you once again!RXR please.

I f you have any questions, suggestions or corrections, please don't hesitate to send me you concerns, I would really love to read from the readers point of view and maybe through it, I might improve my style of writing.

Thanks by the way for those who have reviewed the last chapter! I appreciate it!

~HNNKN7~


	3. New Friend, New Bliss

**-Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed**

**-Orb; Zala Manor-**

_I recall little of those days leading up to the funeral_. Curtains were drawn, lamps were dimmed, and black clothes appeared. Mrs. Weston, my governess, saw to it that everything was handled according to the strictest convention, for that was what mother and father would have wanted. It was confusing having two coffins in the house at the same time and two souls to mourn. I stayed in the manor for two days until my personal seamstress could provide a better mourning suit for me. I didn't want to shame my parent's name. I received thousands of written condolences from people of different rank and position, from tradesman to aristocrats and from PLANT's High council and Officials and it fell to me to return thanks. Although the stationers could sell printed cards that I could have used, I wanted my mother to be proud and so I answered every one of them personally, by hand.

I never spoke of my grief; I never talked of my loss. Once we had been a family of three and then suddenly, reduced to one. I thought I would never recover. I attended to the superficial, to my heavy symbols of mourning and limped through the next few weeks in silence-hobbled, vulnerable and incomplete. My Aunt decided to give me some time and space for my lonesome dilemma and hesitantly decided to return back home in Januarius City, away from the place that illicit tragic memory of death of her beloved sibling.

The PLANT's High Council has sent a proxy for me to run our manor temporarily for eight weeks until they can find some suitable foster family where I would reside until, on their term, I'm of legal age to run a country with proper knowledge, experience and exposure that goes with it. I was thirteen by then, a child no more, yet not an adult. I was torn between the rightful responsibilities of my rank and the characteristic and heart of a child that need considerable time to learn and mend. It was at times like this where they expect greatness to radiate outside of me that was once immaculate and held strongly by my father's ambitions and goals, they expect me to do just the same, to learn of my father's work and be like no one but him. His complete and exact shadow.

For all its entirety and importance of any task, I dared not care, for I was not in the state to cooperate with them or rather _him_, I was still in my world of despair that I couldn't care less what they do to the manor nor to the servants that the proxy, Lord Walter Jenner, decided to replace, except the Cook, with persons who had been in service to more influential and uncompromising families of high rank, persons who can do well execute their task without being pertinent to issues about me nor the prevalent phenomenon that is happening inside the manor. They couldn't care less of anything at all, as long as they do their duties right.

I haven't have the slightest idea until it dawn to me that I was missing summoning Edward for no reason and I received no reply nor a knock on the door to tell me that he was there ready to serve, instead I received a response from a maid, whom I was unfamiliar to, saying that Edward was relieved from his duties not four days ago and that they had given him a large amount to compensate whatever fees my parents missed. I wanted so badly to say my goodbye's to him, he has been in the family for generations count and he was nothing but kind and a patient old man with principles and good mannered peacefulness that I find something to miss for. He has done quite a lot to me I'm sure and even to the extent as to be part of the subterfuge of my exploits to the world unknown to my parents. I suddenly feel alone in my little corner of the world I called once my home, I began to feel emptiness, vulnerable and easily toss by the wind of despair that I sure wish not to delve in anymore, but my heart and body refused to do so.

For weeks I mourn alone in the vast corner of my bedroom and refused to any admittance. Until the eight weeks have passed and the council has chosen the Fortesque to be my foster family knowing that their willing daughter was betroth to me, it gave them more reason to do so and oblige me to stay with them for a good amount of years until I was ready to be out in the public. They packed up my things and made me wear something befitting for the occasion, I was less thrilled in the prospect of living with them for years, but I could not complain since I was born into a privilege life and with that comes specific obligations and sacrifices I needed to accept without protest. As a result a was asked to leave Zala manor, to the hands of Lord Walter to be taken cared for until my "glorious return", and lived with the Fortesque in their Strauss house at PLANT's in December City.

My last days at Zala manor was spent on packing and filing papers for adoption. Jovial goodbyes and warm kisses were not needed since I have no one of good relations to do such performance. My loss became my sanctuary and until then I wasn't able to smile, laugh nor say a lengthy phrase to any one, words like "yes", "no", "I'm fine", where the only words I could utter, somehow speaking to someone became such a cumbersome task. I dearly denied anyone to be talking to me much less talk to me about my loss; I could no longer harbour feelings of joy and bliss, and whenever I would try to recede to my old self, I was plagued by a sense of guilt and foreboding. Somewhere evil awaited me; somewhere there lurked retribution for my thoughts and deeds. I dared to be part of those sentiments no more.

**-P.L.A.N.T; December City; Malcolm Airport-**

_As the Zala plane landed to Malcolm airport,_ the concierge handed me my suitcase and carried my luggage's to the waiting area where I would wait for the car, assigned by Mr. Fortesque, to picked me up and drive me to Strauss house.

I was met at the station by the limousine's driver in uniform, who introduced himself by the name James Henwick, a rather bulky young man of his thirties. He graciously opened the door for me as we finally drove out of the airport. For a while we lurched over cobbles between buildings of ugly gray brick but suddenly the world turned green and we were rushing along narrow lanes edged with stone walls and steep hills that climbed up into the sky. The couple was out in the country doing some last sorting of business affairs with their client and would be back by evening, as they were informed of my arrival, but their daughter Rosa Fortesque, my betrothed decided to stay for I was told that she was rather frantic when she heard I was coming, rather eager would be the exact word as the driver shared to me her thoughts while we were on the drive, to which I respond with a "hm".

After half an hour or so we came to a pair of handsome gates with lodge, no less, on the other side. Perched on top of the left-hand gatepost and showing a great deal of thin calf was a girl in white dress with a flood of straw-gold hair, a color that I've missed so much. She waved frantically then somehow scrambled out of sight, though the post was very high for her height, to reappear just as I rattled through the gates. All the way up the drive she kept pace beside us, beaming at me through the car window.

"Oh golly! Madame is really excited to see you," Mr. Henwick said as he look at me from the front mirror.

"_What a girl!" _I thought.

Few feet from our car were two persons running towards the girl, from what I've guessed must be her governesses. Strauss House was a complete expression of aristocracy and wealth that emanates from each corner of the walls, albeit it was not a sight to be awed anymore since I'm used to being expose to such grandiosity. As the driver opened the door, I stood onto dizzily geometric tiles of the entrance hall. The attendants were properly overwhelmed to see me in the flesh. There was a fleet of servants to fetch my portmanteau, except for the suitcase which I held firmly in my left hand and show me the way into the house, but already Rosa was on the first landing, her long hair hanging over the banister like a ripping sail.

"Come on," she called. "Come."

I couldn't pry myself away since she was holding me, or rather hugging my left arm and dragging me towards the parlor like a snake about to kill it's prey.

"_This is unthought-of"._ I told myself as I never envisioned this girl to be robust, impulsive and quite her person amongst people she have never met before,

"Madame!" her young governess called, "you must not drag his Lordship so rashly!"

I would have thanked her if the girl would have stop in her tracks and would do so as to care for my being as well as my arm. For my part, I was yet physically and mentally weak and her constant dragging would definitely do me no good, but Rosa was determined to have her way. "Come on," she said. "I want to show Athrun everything". Though I was not insulted by her for calling me by my first name, but I was taken aback by her act of being in familiar terms with me and her use of first-name-basis.

I didn't want to be led off into a world I was unfamiliar to, and besides I was tired and I needed to rest, but to voice out my opinion means to cease the ladies joy, since she is quite excited and insisted in showing me around. I was always a gentleman and a gentleman ought never to decline any ladies wish. It seemed to me that, as we ran along the passageway of Strauss House, that I was about to tumble over the precipice called The Unknown.

Rosa flung open one door after another: "This is the salon, this is the gallery, this is the blue room, that's the library." She pointed out to a large closed oak door. "This is the billiard room…" She even showed me her bedroom, "Come on, don't be shy," and I peeked at a vast bed festooned with floral curtains and a flounce quilt, all in shades of blue and pink. I was terrified in case we were caught trespassing in private territories, even if they consider me a _son_, it would be beyond my usual modesty to prance around rooms that are intimate and private. I was a bit relieved when we went pounding down a narrow staircase and burst into a stone passage which led to the outside.

"So what do you think?" she demanded, walking backwards in front of me so that she could watch my face. I was intrigued by her, she was such a different subject altogether.

"Of what?"

"Of it all!" she said as she stretched her hands to both sides as to indicate its magnitude.

"It's not like something I haven't seen" I said to her in a moderate tone, saying it in a way as to not hint a manner that would offend her in any way. Then to assure her, I added, "The house is just like home". I lied to myself to make her feel assured. Even though I haven't known her for a good deal of time I felt warmth emanating from my bosom.

Maybe it was due to her unreserved happiness that I was placed into a role of comforter as she threw her arms about my neck so that my nose was buried in silky hair fragranced with lemon. Then she flung herself away, grabbed my hand and kissed it, smiled into my face, her blue eyes overflowing with delight, and said: "It is so wonderful that you are here. I'll show you everything. I'll show you all the secret places I know. Come on. Come." And she rushed off with her hair flying and her blue skirts kicked back from her ankles, and I followed at a pace which caused my unaccustomed heart to beat very fast and my spirit to lift higher and higher because already I had fallen head over heels in love with Rosa. She came to me like a banner of hope, someone that would suppress my feelings of loneliness and despair, coupled with a promise of joy that would bring me back to my old self and make me remember who I once was.

**-P.L.A.N.T; December City; Strauss House-**

_At dinner_, I felt that I was in a strange world full of outlandish people. The couple, Lord Adam Fortesque and Lady Sarah Fortesque, just arrived from France an hour ago when I was taking my uninterrupted snooze in my new bedroom. They paid a great deal of effort as to give time to buy me assorted chocolate and cookies of high quality, and a closet full of new boy's apparel. When I woke up, the welcome presents were all laid neatly on my study table and the clothes were ironed, hanged and now neatly placed in my wardrobe. Grateful as I am, I never failed to thank them at dinner.

But even then I know I would never feel complete again even in what presence they present to be as consoling, a part of me will never learn to grow. Even in the center of temporarily untainted happiness.

-Rosa-

_In all four weeks that Athrun stayed in our house_ I saw him cry for his parents once, although he was a year older than me, at that moment I can't stop to think that he was like an abandoned child, deprive of filial comfort. A parcel came one day after he'd gone to a leisure walk at the back yard, addressed in a cramp writing which turned out to be from his only living relative, his aunt from Januarius City. The accompanying letter stated that she had come south to clear her dead sister's things so that Athrun, when he returns back to Zala manor, could eventually start afresh. She had found the enclosed items along with her diaries and letters to her son, which the mother had left for Athrun as a memorial.

My parents discussed the matter at breakfast, when he was still up in his bedroom. "We can't interfere," said mother. "Athrun's old enough to bear it, as what I have learned he's already thirteen. He's almost a grown man."

"Just when the boy was doing so well, this has come," said father. "In my view we'd be best putting it away."

"But he must have something of his parents."

"He has his memory of them. That ought to be enough."

All day I gave the parcel a wide berth on my journeys across the hall and I didn't say a word to Athrun about it when I met him at the garden gate because I wanted to preserve his happy mood as long as possible.

He is an intelligent young gentleman, no doubt about it, even in the caress of tragedy he can still angle himself to the light of a joyous prospect, albeit I can still see it in those pleasant emerald green eyes the remembrance of loss he can never vent, every memory is carved in his heart, but even in that despair he still vouch an effort to conceal it and make amends of it through his trying to smile and acting normal around us. He became so accustomed to my presence that he even regard me as a constant company. I couldn't object, I needed to know him more, know his thoughts, and know what he feels. He's mystery astounds me that I can't help myself wanting to be near him and make him confide in me. And thru those weeks, little by little, he granted me that request to be his friend and his stepsister.

By this time our trips back to the house usually took an hour or more. If the weather was hot we flung ourselves down under the cedar and lay with fallen leaves pricking our backs, staring up into complicated branches, or else I allowed him the liberty to lean against the couch and have him read me an anatomy book he got from our library. He delights in studying human anatomy and medicine, he said if personal decisions are not divested on him, he would most certainly would like to help people in the way he can by being a professional doctor. While he reads, I wasn't allowed to peek inside because he said the contents weren't suitable for a little girl, so instead I sat against his bony ribs and listened to the thudding of his heart.

On the afternoon of the package I took his hand and led him to the hall. As soon as he picked up the parcel it was just as I'd feared; he withdrew deep into himself, went upstairs, and closed the door of his room.

He didn't come down to dinner. Afterwards Mother grew very concern and asked one of the maids to go up with a tray. An hour later I decided to fetch it. His door had been left open and his room smelt of cooked meat because of the untouched food. He was sitting on the bed with the contents of the parcel scattered around him. I picked up the tray and put it outside in the passage. Then I closed the door and went to the bed, where I stood with my hands behind my back, waiting to be noticed.

He was without a doubt a very handsome boy, with eyes like emerald stone and navy blue hair that accentuated his fine angle, his aquiline nose and his red lips, a very beautiful pair like that of a lady, but most of all I thought of him more attractive because of his serious, all seeing eyes, and I mourned the light that usually came into his face when he saw me. Eventually I went right up to bed, put my hand on his shoulder, twisted my neck so that my face was almost upside-down under his bent head, and stared into his eyes. Still no response.

"Can I see what was in the parcel?" I asked.

Nothing.

His pain was so palpable that I knew drastic measures had to be taken, so I sat on his lap and placed my arms around his neck. "Show me," I said.

He pointed to a miniature, perhaps four inches by three, in a golden frame, of Leonore Zala. Her little face was adorned with glossy ringlets and her long neck rose from a bare bosom. She wore a high-waisted dress which somehow clung to her chest despite being cut in a wide V across the shoulders. Her head was quarter turned, so that she looked somewhere to the right of the artist, and she was smiling rather shyly, as if she'd prefer not to be in the picture at all. Surprisingly, most of the relics where of aunt Leonore's. I gave the white handkerchief a sniff, because I knew that perfume clung to handkerchiefs, and immediately I can smell the hint of rosewater. There was a tiny jewelry box with flowers embroidered on top, silk-lined and with a mirror inside the lid. Aunt Leonore's engagement ring with its row of three small diamonds was wrapped in a piece of crumpled tissue and there was a folded-up sheet of paper that fit exactly inside the box. On it was written in a frail hand: _For Athrun. My darling, darling boy. Never forget your mother, how she loves you. _

"She is very kind and thoughtful, your mother," I whispered. "I met her ones and she's a very kind lady to smile so warmly to someone she has not acquainted with yet."

He didn't reply. I clung to his neck and tried to hug him but he was unyielding, spiky as when he first arrived.

Eventually I gave up and left him, but as I reached the door I heard a dreadful tearing noise that came from the back of his throat and before I knew it I was sitting on the bed, his head was buried in my lap, my fingers were in his hair, and the skirt of my cotton frock was hot and damp with his tears. His sobs came from deep within his body and he clawed at my arm and back.

At last he recovered enough to raise his wet face and look into mine. "You'll have to be everything to me now, Rosa."

**-Author's Note:**

**I'm really, really sorry for the very late update, especially to those who are constantly and patiently waiting for this story to be updated. I had a very hectic and tight schedule during the semesters and I couldn't find time to update, rest assured I will never leave any of my fic hanging, no matter how long it is, I promised you I will finish it.**

**If you have any questions or suggestions for that matter, please do not hesitate to PM me or mail me. Thank you once again! **

**~HNNKN7~**


	4. Bad News

**Message from ~HNNKN777~:**

**Thank you so much to those people who have read and reviewed the previous chapter, it was indeed inspiring me to update, though this one was a bit late, as usual I ask for an apology for the late update and I was hoping you might enjoy reading chapter 4. Thank you once again!**

**-Earth; Orb-**

Standing before the Iron Gate that bore the golden Zala crest crafted in the aperture is a blonde haired girl clad in her black jeans and grey sweater over her white shirt, clutching the iron pole and peeking through it while seemingly searching for someone.

For the past few weeks, she hasn't got an idea why a certain blue-haired boy ceased to appear at the Onogoro beach. Cagalli was constantly waiting for Athrun at the usual place and since the time Athrun treated her to a restaurant, she hasn't got a glimpse of him nowadays.

She was very worried. Athrun had left her in the dark. Cagalli heard nothing but rumors surrounding the Zala family. One day while she was out to buy medicine in a nearby drug store for her mother, who has gone ill, coincidentally she overheard two salesmen talking about the Zala's unfortunate predicament as if a plague had befallen on their family. She heard bits about them talking about "a tragic accident" and "poor boy",

"_Were they talking about Athrun?"_ .

Cagalli thought for a minute that Athrun must have been away on an excursion, or a camping trip with his family somewhere, or he must have been invited in a special occasion, or maybe he is in PLANTS, the "poor boy" they are talking about might be some maid's son serving the Zala's who happened to be unfortunate enough to jump into such sorry case. Whoever that person or boy might be it would be obscure for it to be Athrun, it's too early to assume. And for her case, she's better of never to assume such.

Cagalli's list goes on and on covering any possibilities on where her friend might be, and overriding such dark thoughts, she might well be mistaken for all she knew but somewhere in the precipice of her mind, a loop lay stranded in her list of ideas that though those might be a possibilities it was never wrong that possibilities are partly related to guesses and guesses are most often than not, indiscreet or discreet and this lifted her agony a bit.

That's why she made it a great deal of will and effort to come and visit the Zala manor on her own and see for herself if the rumor was true.

Somehow the deserted manor before her has proven the rumors true. It gave her an icky feeling that somehow Athrun must have been embroiled into a very ugly circumstance, circumstances she know not and he didn't even had the gut to tell her.

She was about to leave but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a servant boy who stumbled out with creasy servant uniform, he must be running off to who-knows-where, she presume he was either eight or nine years old judging from his height.

"Excuse me!" she hollered at the boy who stopped in his tracks and pointed his chubby fingers to his face as if clarifying if it was really him she called at.

"Yes you, can I ask you a question?"

The boy clumsily scurried off to her direction; he was rather jumpy in this time of hour. He was shorter than Cagalli, whose height only reach up to her mid-chest; he was wearing a lazy hat on top of his chocolate head, since he was a bit shorter, Cagalli had to bend a little of her height so that they could talk properly and that Cagalli could see his eyes.

"Sure!"

"Are the owners of this mansion around?" she softly asked.

"No, only the estate agent, why? He pertly asked.

"Well, I was wondering if…" Cagalli said fumbling her fingers and a sudden rush of blood on her face, "…I could talk to your master, Athrun".

"If you're talking about 'the' master Athrun Zala, well I'm afraid lady that you've lost your chance, you're quite slow for a journalist if you are asked to come here for information."

Cagalli was astonished that the boy happens to mistook her as a journalist. Sure enough, whatever might have happened, journalist and reporters must have cause quite a havoc and nuisance outside the gate where she's standing on, begging and calling to whomever they might seize for interrogation. These incite a good amount of curiosity on Cagalli. What did happen here that caused a stir in the media?

"N-no, I'm not a journalist"

"Then you can go, you have no further business here, I am not authorized to answer whatever silly questions you might ask".

_How rude._ "Actually, if you care to notice, the reason I'm here is because I have every reasonable business to be here, and the fact that I don't know what's going on might give you an idea that I don't come here for nothing."

"Then you must give me compensation" the boy said arching his right brow.

"What compensation?"

The boy rubbed both his right thumb and middle finger as if to indicate that he'd trade information if she gives him money. "I'll trade whatever I know, if you give me money, I think that's a fare deal since I'm staking out my life here for you."

_Is that really how they do business here? _

"Ugh, I don't have much on me" Cagalli said pocketing for her wallet in her tight jeans.

"Whatever amount will do" he was suddenly smiling like a Cheshire cat upon seeing the cash she brought out and laboriously handed between the gaps in the gate.

"Now tell me what you know."

The young boy move closer. "The young master flew to PLANTS weeks ago" he said while counting the orb dollar he gained.

"He went to PLANTS? Why?"

_Sigh_. "Lady do you even watch the news, it was aired worldwide?" with this Cagalli shamefully shook her head like a child, "No, unfortunately". The boy vehemently sighed, whoever this son was they probably taught him to act beyond his age and Cagalli find it cute, like a local actor who mindlessly robbed the part originally made for a Hollywood actor.

He leaned forward closer to Cagalli and hovered both his palm on his knees. "I'm not suppose to tell you this, since my mama said that the higher-ups wishes to disclose this matter but I can't help it, either way it was already in the news, so why bother and since you are quite slow in everything, I'll give you the liberty to know" he said straightening up, lifting both of his hands in an act of surrender.

"And the right for information" Cagalli chirpily added. The boy silently groaned and heaved again a heavy sigh.

"The late lady and lord Zala died of a plane crash, the investigators are still on search for proof of attack, but whatever the case was, it never smoothened the young masters rough intake of tragic revelation—"

"Thomas! Who are you talking to?"

_Ugh, bad timing, _Cagalli thought.

"You know you're not allowed to talk to strangers" the rather bulky figure of a women came to view, without any second thought Cagalli guessed it to be Thomas's mother, since they both share the same chocolate hair. Standing beside her son, she peek at the petite girl before her, "And what are you doing here if I may ask hmm?" she asked grumpily with a hint of annoyance as she crossed her arm between her chest looking a lot like the giant in the "Jack and the Beans stalk". It frightened Cagalli a little.

"I'm suppose to visit a friend"

"And who might that friend be? Surely you must have the address wrong since Mr. Jenner didn't inform us of a coming visitor, and a rather poor one at that" her words were biting and somehow Cagalli was having already her dose of bad impression on them. But nonetheless, if they regard and act that way towards her, well she's not going to stoop down the same level they are in and sing the same tune they are singing. She's going to fight fire with water, and she's not going to grace them with the same level of uncouthness.

"I'm a good friend of Athrun's and—"

"Lord Zala is not here…" Cagalli was rudely interrupted and what the woman said next deeply impaired Cagalli emotionally. "…and in no way did we know nor are we informed or notified by the young master that he has such a friend and a girl from the slum for that matter". No matter what the case might be, it was a breach of manners to be addressing someone rather rudely of his/her status so bluntly and straight forward.

_That's it, she had gone too far._

"With all due respect Madame, I am deeply wounded by your choice of words and how you address me as a person," Cagalli vehemently expressed all the while pointing her index finger at the lady being addressed to, "you have no right to judge me as you have no clear proof nor a clear basis to support such insults and furthermore, I did not come here with a full intention on exploiting nor am I here to beg for alms as what you are trying to entail".

"Then what are you doing here then?" she asked with embarrassment as she is well-aware of her misdemeanor and the way she had treated the girl, who she thinks now as a very educated person despite her background.

"You might have been nicely informed had you not rudely interrupted me, but I am all aware now even with that bit of information your son gave me..." She lowered her head to the boy, "a big thank you for that!" and smiled warmly.

She turned her attention back to the boy's mother and softly spoke, "I hope you won't blame him for this, I merely want to know where my friend is and I hope when we see each other again you have already adjusted that slight attitude problem of yours, I say this as a fellow woman and as a person, we don't want other people to judge you unfairly in any way. I don't want to see us again in this kind of light". With that Cagalli bowed her head; despite the woman's attitude towards her, Cagalli still thanked her for her time. At last, she rode her bike and left.

**-P.L.A.N.T.S; Strauss House-**

**Rosa's POV**

When Athrun took up residence in our quiet manor, he was a thin-faced youth with a healthy complexion, often pinkish when the sun touches his cheeks, radiance was flowing out of his face but his eyes are a dark reminder of something we could never erase, it was always blank with suffering. "He'll only be with us once he finishes school or until his back on his feet when he turns eighteen, and when that faithful day comes I hope you're ready enough to accept him" said Mother smiling all the while teasing me with her usually dainty act of excitement of the prospect.

"Don't you think it's rather early for that kind of conversation Mother?" I said facing her, leaving my homework unfinished on the desk as I stood up and went towards the study room window where I could feel a blush creeping to my cheeks and peek through the window observing a figure underneath the oak tree.

"Since the room is finally finish, he'll be permanently residing in that room next to yours," she said as she stood up leaving the book she was currently reading and navigated her way from the couch to the window where Rosa was secretly enjoying and smiling, but it never escaped her mother's eyes since she can do well observe her from the window reflection, "and be out each day since he needs to cope up in his new school. We'll hardly notice him."

She was right, by the time Athrun starts going to school, I hardly see him at breakfast, but it goes not that I do notice him; I just don't see him often every day. I notice him, I noticed everything about him: the cautious sound of his rising in the morning, his meager breakfast of tea and toast, I found this out when I talked to Marsha our Cook, she said that Athrun had requested the same dish every morning and since Marsha was in no place to object, she regrettably oblige. His easing himself out of the house as if afraid of making the air stir as he shut the door, his return at six o'clock and disappearance into his room as soon as the evening meal was over.

I noticed that he had long, slender fingers like his mother and that he was never without a book. Even at mealtime there was one sticking out from his pocket, and when he set off from school on the morning I ran to an upstairs window and watched him open a volume and begin to read. It was a wonder he didn't fall over, but he was skilled at avoiding obstacles, even with his eyes on the page.

Even when he asked me to be his everything, I honestly do not know what part he means even as he told me to act myself when I'm around with him. Though with those favor Athrun had not fully adjusted his life yet in this house but I was patient enough to wait that someday he'll come around.

He and I had nothing to say to each other. After all, we never expunge the authenticity that he was a boy and a year older than me; he was thirteen and I twelve. And his dead mother, poor Aunt Leonore, shimmered between us.

However, one wet afternoon I noticed that, despite my mother's reminder at breakfast time, he had forgotten to take an umbrella nor a raincoat from the stand in the hall with him before he rides his bike on his way to the beach despite my Father's detest for him to ride alone in a bike with no escort, but Athrun talked him out with a few chosen words and in the end harbored an approval from my Father, how he had done it, I don't know, but that was aside the point. I was very troubled because this was the kind of detail we used to get exactly right before he came. For an hour I stood at the window easily facing the garden, plotting how to remedy the situation. In the end I asked Mother's permission to go down the garden with the umbrella and open the gate for him so that he could cut a corner of the lane and at least stay dry for the last few minutes.

"That would be kind, Rosa".

So I ran along the brick path skirting the lawn and passed through what we hoped would one day be a sea of poppies and carnation, my Mother loved the sight of it and indeed it was like watching a painting come to life. There were stepping stones across the border to the gate, which was half covered in clematis and had a well-oiled bolt.

I stood in the shelter of the wall, trembling. Perhaps he wouldn't come home this way today, or not be pleased to see me. Perhaps I'd already missed him. A blade of grass at my foot bent from the weight of a raindrop.

At last I heard a squelch of footsteps and there was Athrun with his collar up and mud on his sneakers, his red and black colored bicycle beside him making a clattering sound as he drag it with him while holding onto to the handlebars, his bicycle was like his walking companion. His eyes were cast down and looking at the road. There was like a small pink velvet box peeking out from the pocket of his blue and white jacket, and a satchel that beside his right hip and it's strap diagonally hanging from his chest, it seems he took time to shop before he went home.

"Athrun". He stopped dead, looked round, and saw me underneath the arch of the gateway. "I brought you an umbrella," I said. "And it's quicker through the garden."

To my relief he smiled, bowed his head and took the umbrella, and followed me up the garden, holding it over us both. When we reached the house and after parking his bike in the garage, we entered the door and he gave me the small velvet box first then his jacket while he shook the rain off the umbrella and folded it up. Awed by the responsibility of clutching the damp mass of his book and the little pink velvet box in my arm, I took a discreet sniff of rain-soaked leather. When we swapped burdens he smiled into my eyes and afterwards I stood in the drying room near the hearth and didn't know how I would live until dinner when he might smile at me like that again.

**-P.L.A.N.T.S; December City-**

**Athrun's POV**

I familiarize myself with the corners, the smell and scent of each room, the hallways and the corridors, the passage to the library, the east, north, west and south wing I am familiar with but most of all I have grown accustom to the smell of books in the library. Strauss house is adept to have so many books in the shelves, each one slowly crying out to be read, to be discovered and explored. I could stay here all day and read all of them if it would even be possible. Currently I indulge myself in a game of deciphering James Joyce "Finnegan's Wake". Honestly, I've heard so many scholars addressed such book as an unsolvable hoax; it was to a certain extent true but one has to experience it first to know.

I never initiated a conversation with the Fortesque folks, but I found myself one day talking to mister Fortesque about spending my weekend outdoors alone with my bicycle, at the very least he was hesitant, deciding on a better alternative of activity I might enjoy more, but with a few chosen words, I list to him the importance of such pleasure trip, I stood my ground on that subject but he highly declined and ask to be given more time to decide, he said that security it an utmost important, that it was better for him to think about it first before he makes any concluding decisions. At dinner, he approved of my request coupled with a condition that I go home exactly when the hand strikes six, it was a fair deal and I find the conditions acceptable.

Since I started to go to school, I'm more aware that I have been spending meager time with Rosa lately, stuffs in school and a lot of things to cope up before I become a regular student made me more of a busy boy than I ever was. Apart from me, she has her menagerie of acquaintances and friends from school she brings along with her sometimes in the manor, most of them were girls from her division and others were club mates. Time and again they do their club activities inside the manor on Rosa's frolicsome suggestion, since it was a photography club, they brought along with them their camera and stuffs like lenses and tripods and off they go upstairs and set it up in the parlor and they'd sit together in a circle in the middle of the room and began discussing on what they would take photos of. One time, I became the unfortunate specimen. Rosa told me that the girls became interested on the "new guy" and asked her who I was and what was I doing here, she told them the truth of course, that I was her step brother and the son of Patrick and Leonore Zala.

There club activities became more frequent in the manor and I've had an uncanny feeling when I'll take my snacks from Marsha, whenever I spot or see them in the kitchen, I get to hear giggles when they presume I was out of earshot. Presently, they were sneaking to take pictures of me when they thought I wasn't aware of their sneaking around all day in the library, but I don't really mind, who am I to take their joy from them, _the ladies must always go first _as what my Mother would say. I believe there was no room for objections.

I missed my visits to the beach and since I was allowed to go there on my bike, I took the liberty to tell the head butler that I was going out for a ride to the beach. I would spend my hours sitting on the sand and leaning on a boulder, sometimes to rest my eyes and think things over. I would bring my books and sketchbook with me and I would sketch the sea and the blue sky and most of the time I would sketch a memory of a smiling Cagalli. I missed her so much and the fact that I didn't even say my goodbyes to her made me worry. I would often wonder what she is doing right now, would she hate me for not telling her? Would she be upset? Would she even remember me when I get back?

I would never dream of the latter. It aches to be forgotten. I'll keep a memory of her in these pictures and sketches; I would not allow her image to blur from my mind, I will keep her with me. It gave me pure determination whenever I would sketch a picture of her, the ones I've took when we were at the beach together, and the memories brought a smile to my face.

**5:23 p.m**

When I was heading home, I stumbled upon an old antique shop. I got curious on the displayed item on the window: there was an ancient turn table, a French Bisque Poupee doll, a few necklaces laid in the middle, a cylinder music box, a gramophone, a phonograph and a crystal ballerina necklace placed on a small cushion.

I felt like someone was watching from the inside, I looked up and saw a pair of humble eyes; she must be the owner of the antique shop, she was eyeing behind her glasses and peeking at me from the glass window. She was old and already stoop, she was holding a crane in her hand to keep her balance as she made her way to the door.

"And what would a handsome young man, like you, doing in an antique shop?" she asked slowly as she was already outside the shop and was now standing next to me. On a closer inspection, she owned a beautiful pair of amber eyes and she was smiling warmly at me.

I couldn't voice out the reasons why I ended up there, I was speechless. For some good reasons, I was a bit curious that's all.

"Something must have caught your attention?"

"In general, yes." I finally had the voice to reply and turned my head back to the display. I moved closer to the glass window and leaned both my hands on the cold surface. "That necklace," I pointed, "how much is it?" I looked at her and she turned to the direction my index finger was pointing at.

"You might want to take first a closer look." She suggested and she head back again inside with me on tow.

It was warm and cozy inside her shop; it has a lethargic effect on me coupled with the smell of paper and books. I heard a knob turned as she opened a tiny hole for her to get the keychain. I moved closer behind her. Surprisingly she owned a black cocker spaniel, it was huddled at the corner dozing the afternoon.

"Here you go", she handed to me carefully the necklace and I examined it, it was indeed an antique but it was far from being junk, whoever was the previous owner he/she did a pretty good job on taking care of it. "How much would this one cost?"

The old lady sighed, turning around and sat back on a comfy couch with the dog on its leg, I just stood there and waited.

"Would you like me to give it to you for free?"

"N-no, it would be unfair…"

"Oooh but I insist," she said smiling at me, "That thing has been with me for generations, I don't want it any longer to seat idly in this shop, it needs a new owner, go ahead, I'll place it in a box for you" she said as she stood up again, I gave her my arm as she led me to another entrance. She handed to me a velvet box and placed the crystal there herself, we went out again back to the showroom. I led her back to her seat and she sighed as she silently eyed the box in her hand. "Here child," she asked for my hand and I handed it to her as she placed the box and I grasp it, "I don't know what came over me, but I felt that I needed to let it go".

"You are most kind Madame".

"No, you are, you did a very big favor for me, keep it, it is yours to keep now". She looked up at me and I placed the box on the side pocket of my jacket, I bowed to her. I gave her my lunch money since it was the only money I have in my wallet, at first she refused the offer but I insisted on it as a thank you.

"Thank you very much child" she smiled again, "you better run along now, the rain won't wait for you, you might get soaked on your way home-"

"it's okay I think I'll just drive faster" I said jokingly, "and oh, by the way ma'am, I'm Athrun Zala" I said as I present my hand for her to shake.

"And I'm Marianne, I never knew I'd get to meet Leonore's son personally"

"You knew my Mother?" I asked, surprised that she was familiar with us.

"Yes, she was under my tutelage when she was twelve years old, I was her mentor"

"The Marianne Stewart? My Mom talked about you to me, she said you were her best". I began to remember my mom again. She was a memory.

"I missed her, for the record, I knew instantly who you were when you were peeking out through that window, you've got the same spark with your mom and her looks, you are her mirror" she began to look blankly at me and I think she remembered something in her olden days. "Seriously, you better run along, you might catch a cold on your way back".

"I think I do need to go now" I said as a started to open the door and into the chilly atmosphere outside.

"I think we should meet again, I sure want to talk to you more," she said happily as she tugged her shawl around her arm for heat.

"We'll do, so long Marianne!" I said as a wave my hand at her and moved down the alley.

**5:47 p.m**

When I arrived at our street, my shoes were soaking wet and my hair was damp, the jacket did a little thing to warm me up. My satchel was very wet, but at least the leather prevented my books to be on the same dilemma as me. I was approaching the manor and the image grew little by little in seconds. I smiled inwardly as I saw Rosa with an umbrella standing beneath the arch of the gate, she looked worriedly at me and I know how much it troubled her to know that I have forgotten to bring either an umbrella or a raincoat.

"Athrun, I brought you an umbrella…"

**-Earth; Orb-**

**Cagalli's POV**

**10:16 p.m**

_Mom's awfully late these days._ I happen to miss her going home and cooking food for dinner, it's seems that these days people tend to live me in the dark, I go home every day and found nobody in the house except me, although she comes home, yet she arrives early in the morning at four and I can smell that she reeks of alcohol. _Something is indeed very strange in these days too._

_I decided to wait for my mother before I'll retire to bed. I still got tons of things to study for and at least this will keep me occupied for a couple of hours. _Cagalli grabbed a pen and brought out a book and set to work in her room.

**2:09 a.m**

I woke up at the sound of a door and a clatter of noises downstairs. _Mom must be home. _I grab the clock and looked at the time, _2:09 p.m. _"uh, talk about night life" I grumbled as I turned my lamplight off. I stood up from my chair and I can slowly feel the stiffness and my sore back, the effect of sleeping while sitting on a chair.

The noise bellow began to be noisier each minute so I decided to idle no more and open the door.

"Mom? Are you home?" I said as I rubbed any residue of sleep from my eyes. As I was nearing the rail that overlooked the living room, I heard a sloppy sound followed by a muffled groan; I began to wonder what my mom was doing downstairs.

When I peeked from above I wasn't prepared of what I saw that instant. My mom was lying underneath with a man hovering above her they were making out on the living room floor. I cupped my mouth with my hands to prevent me from screeching. That was too much for one day.

"Mom?" that came out barely a whisper but nonetheless the world was dead and there was nothing there that could hinder my whisper from being heard. Both adults looked up, and I saw their bloodshot eyes from the moons light, surely they have too many alcohols to drink that night.

"Honey, go back to your room" my Mom could barely say it between kisses, she did not even bother that they were doing promiscuous activity in front of me, the man rode her to the end and she was squealing in delight and the man groan.

"You better do what your Mother is telling you deary" the man slurred and he huff. They continued their activity as if nothing had happened, as if I wasn't there. It broke my heart to a million shards and I could not take in the pain so I ran back to my room leaving a drop of tear from my eye and tucked myself in my bed crying and cupping my ear so that I could not hear their sound of lovemaking, it was too much for me to bear, I feel I could lose any second now. I began a litany of prayers by the second, but nothing echoed my minds but the sound f lies, I was lying to myself.

"Athrun" I sobbed, I began to yearn his company and believed that if he were here he could have comforted me, but he's up in PLANTS and I'm in Orb, it means I had to face this myself, but first it was best to let loose myself before I let rational thoughts clobber my mind. So I cried and cried until I cried myself to sleep.

The thunder clap outside the window and what more of devilish circumstances brought a difference to a one way life.

**_**_**fin _ **_

**Author's Note:**

**Hello! I hope you liked this chapter, the last part was lazily written since I haven't quite got a good night sleep yesterday and my grammar structure is disrupted since I took a break from my running chain of thought (was I making sense? Hehe); I hope you can forgive me for that. If you have any suggestions, reactions and questions, please feel free to send me a message. Please review in order for me to know my standing as an amateur author, how much maybe I have improved my writing. I don't know when I'll be releasing the next chapter, it might take long for me to update, but it depends on how the reviews boost and encourage me to update. I am not trying to blackmail you by forcing you to update and I'm not mandating you on that one either, it's just that amateur author's like me are in one way or another get encourage when someone reviews their work, so please don't get me wrong or misunderstand my point.:-) There might be a lot of grammatical errors and typos so please if you happen to notice it directly inform me on that so I could instantly correct it. RxR.**

**Thank you very much!**

**~HNNKN777~**


	5. Silent Night

**Hello everyone! I know it's been so long (as always) since I last updated. As is accustomed: I sincerely apologize for the terrible long delay, I can't give you any valid reason other than being busy for the past months, I've been working hard in school that I failed to write an update, I hope this chapter will suffice. Once again I'm terribly sorry.**

**Oh, before I forget, I would like to thank those who have reviewed the last chapter. It is with great pleasure to hear from your point of view!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own either GS or GSD even the characters, they all belong to their respective owners. The only thing I own here is the story and the plot, the names of the characters here are randomly chosen and it was not written here for any purpose, the characters are not meant to portray someone in real life, they are basically pure fiction.**

**OoOoOo**

**Orb; 5:29 p.m**

When Cagalli came back from school, she found the house empty. The vast silence that loomed across each room lingered on and on, it was so quiet that any life present in the house was quiescent and noise was never present.

The absence of sound unhindered the creaky noise of the screen door to appear as a party to the unending interval of silence. The rough breeze wafted the sound of barren babble caused by the sands beneath her feet as she stride towards the veranda, each step was cumbersome and little by little she feels her heart faint_._

_I'm going to be alone again._ She knew it would be so. For weeks she'd lived her life alone.

Dead silence was the definite surface that defines the current circumstance that has befallen in the seemingly lifeless abode. It was not a joy and exciting attempt of Cagalli to go home all alone with no one to accompany her but herself and no one else, the prospect of going somewhere else in the city or mall, where she's never been to, has become more appealing to the senses rather than to rot because of silence.

But the problem was neither in the atmosphere nor was the silence that incited memories of the heartrending night but it was with respect to the absence of the child-bearer or the female person that made the atmosphere even duller and the silence more conspicuous. She hates being alone, alone that only her thoughts she could hear.

She is starting to dislike what has become of their lives, but she never discouraged any of the sour feelings she's feeling, for Cagalli believed, deep within the recesses of her being and soul that something good will come out of this, she has to learn something. With that in mind she regained her mobility to thrust the screen door open and to face whatever silence, however different in respect, for she relied heavily on the words quoted by Maurice Maeterlink: "Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves". And indeed 'twas so, for she began to search the definite point of her life where she might know what is that she wishes and what isn't.

As she thrust open the door she heard a clanking sound of wine bottles that were loosely caught on the doors base, it would appear that her mother, along with that fustilug client of hers that she brought home with her that night, were having a round of merry drinking before she left for school and Cagalli deliberately meant not to remember an episode of that man and her when they happen to bump each other at the hallway adjacent to her room, he was big and fat and reeked of alcohol, not to mention his shirt wafted a pungent smell when her nose bumped on his chest earlier, it was a gross encounter of a man with no sense of hygiene, as was also the case of his character—they rot, for he was about to touch her but she immediately swatted his hand that was trying to reach for her face and she took a turn and swiftly ran towards the stairs and outside. I never again want to meet any of my mother's clients; for sure they mean the same intent, especially when they're drunk.

I stooped down and picked up discarded papers and strewn shirts on the floor and the bottles that have rolled beside the chairs pedestal when I opened the door earlier. I placed the shirts in the laundry basket and by the looks of the color patterns and the smell I could tell that the man earlier would be coming back for his shirt, and if he doesn't… well, I'll do the honor of discarding it to where it deemed fit to be.

**7:31 p.m**

I produced a piece of paper and a pen thinking that I might occupy myself with homework while waiting for her, it has crossed my mind how things related to school has eased my way out of the incessant thoughts of what to do and how to do things in the house while at the same time worried still about my mother. Things cannot be helped, and because of these occurrences Cagalli has been doing well in school- better than she wished it to be, in fact. Her teacher remarked her once at the end of recess that a little more push and she'd be in the honor's list once the semester has ended, it boosted her ego despite the underlying problem she is facing. With this in mind she was compelled not to give up.

"Never give up Cagalli" she whispered to herself placing a hand in the air.

At school she has found ways to entertain herself and erase any thoughts at home. Her friend Henry offered to teach her fencing every after school along with his other friends, he said it was worth a try and that it would be fun, at first she declined knowing that she doesn't have a talent for fencing and that she never has fencing paraphernalia's, but he insisted on it that she would be the only one left out in the group, he also assured her that he would provide one for her once she approves of the proposition.

Henry was a friend and classmate of Cagalli whom she had met when she was in her second year in high school, he was a new student then and Cagalli was the ever first person to approach him during recess. Henry felt that he was indebted to her kindness; he was ever gracious of her offered camaraderie. Henry Fitzbane is his full name and he came from an affluent family in PLANTS where his father was a member of the political circle. Only Henry and his mother moved to Orb because of family matters that Henry wished not to disclose of, never the less Henry was a good companion and friend.

As time passed by she's practically playing fencing and is becoming better and better, Henry commented her at some point that she could level him in a duel, but Cagalli insisted that she was still an amateur and that she needed more time to practice to be able to beat him.

They were a good bunch, Henry and the others, though they belong to the high stratum in society they never lose their sense of propriety and respect to people in general. She was reminded then about Athrun, oh how she missed him, he was a good friend.

Her sessions with Henry and his friend go about every three o'clock in the afternoon after they have finished class, they would go to the backyard where the breeze was cool and the big oak tree was located to house them from the sun's ray, changing from they're school uniform into their vests and pads they would start-off and end by the time a friend of them calls it quits, they have been doing that since Henry suggested it one recess time. But apparently four days ago his friends have informed her that Henry hasn't been playing with them since a relative of his has arrived from PLANTS -"The Prime Minister or some sort"- Cagalli suspected that Henry must have been called for by his parents to attend to them, however she could always see him in class and he has by far never missed a subject, so it was good.

**9:19 p.m**

Dark clouds have gathered in the heavens and the further time passed the bigger possibility for the weather to change course. It was evident that a storm would come soon. It worried Cagalli that her mother would be going home soaking wet after an exhausting walk from the bar to her house. There was no moon, no instrument to shed light on fowl night's like this, by a minute the sound of the waves thrashing about each other, splashing salt waters to the dry sand, was becoming loud, loud enough to penetrate through my glass window, mother nature was becoming more fiercer in her approach to cleanse the land she bestowed upon men as lightning stroked a branch dead from a tree, suspended in the air, holding onto to what remains attached to the limbs. I paid no heed to them but the pitter, patter of the rain reminded me that mother was unable to bring with her neither an umbrella nor a raincoat. I sighed and stood up, walking towards my closet to fetch an oversized jacket that reached up to my knees and donned it. I turned off the lights in the house excluding the lights at the veranda to spare me the difficulty in the darkness once I get back. I grabbed two umbrellas and headed out with the house keys, jiggling in my side pocket. I locked the entrance and pushed open one of the umbrellas. I unhurriedly entered beneath the slow patter of rain.

**9:32 p.m**

Heading my way to the club means passing by the Zala mansion, I wasn't on my bike so I spared a time to peek between the gaps of the gold ironed gate hoping that Athrun might have come back, but the place was still the same as to the day I paid a visit. I didn't want to tarry any longer so I proceeded to my plan and left that matter.

**9:59 p.m**

When I arrived at the club, it was congested, packed with people with different motives and agenda that brought them out from their home to this place, the place was brimming with customers, waiters, bartenders, even lady strippers, pole dancers, and guest relation officers, to be blunt; it was a place full of nothing but strangers. When I entered through the wooden door, I immediately placed my hand over my nose as the air was ghastly filled with smoke puffed from cigars. I wasted no time to dawdle as I carefully ease my way towards the direction of the bar careful not to brush any parts of my body against someone else's, since night's like this is a high-time opportunity for men to let loose, unwind and enjoy the other part of life, so I have to be on guard for watchful eyes, wandering hands and especially from drunken men.

"E-excuse me…" I lowered my voice and tugged my jacket's hood lower so as to prevent them to see my whole visage. A lady bartender, with burnishing waist-length wavy hair, her face was pale, her posture dignified and proud.

"Is Mrs. Louisse Atha here?" I ask.

"Why hello, what can I do for you?" she didn't seem to hear me. One only had to look at the way she moved her delicate hands with their long white fingers, vainly displaying them to advantage against the black stuff of her uniform.

"Is Mrs. Louisse Atha here?" I reiterated.

She pondered for a second and replied: "No, I think she took off somewhere saying she needed some time alone with her clients," she poured another man his glass of beer who was sitting two seats away from Cagalli,

"Do you have a reserve for someone?" Knowing what that meant, I refused to acknowledge any further messages that might led them to think I was one to.

Cagalli shook her head slowly feeling downcast.

"Can I get you anything then?" she was all business.

"No, thank you, I think I'll leave." Cagalli stood from where she sat and walked towards the exit. She brought her hood forward to cover her head as the chilly air outside was a big contrast to the warm atmosphere inside the bar, but the outside air was fresh and people have retreated back to their individual homes soothe street wasn't congested and there lies the difference.

**10:28 p.m**

The clock was ticking and every passing minute is a crucial reminder of the horror that looms in every corner of the alley, it was pass ten o' clock and Cagalli needed to get home fast. The street was becoming more dangerous by the minute.

When I twisted towards the Gallant St. two drunken men were across me, trying to stabilize each other with one arm flung at the other persons shoulder and the other man has done the same. My heart pounded fast and I rationally thought of plans on how to by pass them without being too conspicuous, but it was too late for they called out to me, a pet name I cringe at the sound of. I walked, fast paced against tipsy and clumsy steps of the drunkards, when they realized I was running away from them they started to shout to me, wafting their hands in the air as if to invisibly pull me towards them.

"Don't run away from us gorgeous!" one said eager to catch up on me.

This is turning out to be very bad. I instinctively ran as fast as my feet could carry me, I was lost from my usual route so I rashly decided upon which alley to turn to, not minding where I was going as long as I cut the two drunken men off my trail.

My head collided with the fabric and then a muscle in the torso, the battling ache in my head, the wet feeling running down my cheek and my soak derriere that seeped a little water from the puddle below me where I unceremoniously landed on. I rubbed my head and nose where the result of impact was very much amassed. I felt the blood on my head grew cold since it was dipped partially in the puddle; I rubbed my head again in order for the pain to subside but was momentarily interrupted as the person pulled my free hand for me to stand up. Apparently, the stranger hadn't given me a pause to further nurse my aching forehead for he was much in a frantic hurry as I was. He held my right hand tight and pulled me faster to run in order to level his speed in running. While we were running away from the drunken men I lost track of neither where I was nor where his leading me to, but I seem to care less where his taking me, I leave it to faith that this stranger would be a "knight in shining armor" and not the opposite.

While we were running from alley to alley I took notice of his features, I guessed he was a boy, judging from the size of his hand that was holding mine; the angle of his face was strong yet it had a gentle curve on the jaw line, he was in his teens. From the makeshift of the night I could see that he had pale blonde locks, a hue like mine.

We hid behind a barrel of garbage, I was pushed to cuddle myself closer on his chest since his right arm hugged my back and his left resting on my head, the scene was as if we were lover's running and hiding away from someone who dared defy our love, but it was not the case, we were both simply just running away from drunken men that has evidently, thank God, passed by our alley thinking that they're still on the trail.

The boy was panting heavier than I was, I could feel the rise and fall of his chest. Thinking that the drunken men had gone a distant away from them, he peeked around the barrel and saw that the coast is clear, he leaned on to the wall and heavily sighed, he was still "hugging" me and his left hand never let go of my head, then his head twisted to my direction and it was the first time I saw his face and his ethereal blue eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked with concern evident in his face.

"I think I'm alright" I replied.

"Of course you're not, you could have been raped," he said aghast, he finally let go of me while producing a hat from his duffle bag. We were seating beside each other now all the while leaning on the alley's wall. "Why were you walking alone at this hour and on a Friday night no less?"

"Because I needed to find my mother," she said simply, looking up at the boy through her now unkempt mane of hair.

The boy shook his head. Perhaps she was mad, even though she did not sound it. 'Hold my hat,' he said sharply, thrusting his hat into the girl's free hand. 'Now…' He jumped to his feet, hauling the girl up after him. Then he took off his coat and placed it around her. She was shivering with cold. And she was wet through.

"You must not, sir," she said crossly, trying to push the coat off her shoulders. "I am perfectly well as I am. I was only-"

"Nonsense," he snapped. 'You will get the ague if we do not get you warm. Now…I presume you are from these parts? Is there any inn or hotel for that matter?

"Well, I am from this part of town, and I do live here…. my house is just a walk away so there's no need for any inn's or hotels, for my case"

The boy laughed shortly, he had such a boyish laugh Cagalli thought. 'Well, am I safe to presume you are out here for a night life, giving the pretense of searching for your mother?

"I will not have you to think of me that way…."

"Of course, I am not overly confident on that assumption, but considering you are from this part of town and that your house is not too far from here, wouldn't it repeal your excuse about you looking for your mother?..." he proudly deduced, 'Cause there's no way she ever gets lost bringing to the subject her age and sense of maturity, which by the way draws an innate sense to be geographically oriented for that matter….." he was about to continually baffle had Cagalli not interrupted.

"You sound like the dominie…" she chuckled, 'but I'm entirely grateful for the deed you have done for me sir," Cagalli offered him a slight bow of her head, "but I am capable of protecting myself when the situation calls for it."

_She still has her pride_.

The boy quirk an eyebrow. She was clearly a lady, but for what he had witness she looked anything but capable. Besides, she was probably no older than thirteen or fourteen. She was soaked to the skin, and her shirt was barely decent now that it has seeped the water from the rain. She clearly needed someone to take charge of her and to accompany her safe back to her home.

"I am not a schoolmaster, miss, even if I sound like one to you. My name is Max, and I am a stranger to these parts. If you will permit me-" he sketched a hasty and inelegant bow in her direction, which provoked a hint of a smile "-I will escort you to safety. Perhaps you would…er…point me in the right direction?"

Cagalli shook her head, she was playfully entertained by this gentleman, perhaps she should play along, apparently she feel he's no longer a stranger to her, _what was that he called himself? Max? a nice name for a boy like him, _' Any man who can remember the courtesies in the middle of a rainy night must be addled in the brain.' she added a chuckle, but that did not divert him from being cautious and protective, in case someone lurks somewhere, they must be somewhere safe and then they could casually talk if time and circumstance permit.

Max put a hand firmly on her shoulder and squeezed. He had had enough of courtesies. They were getting wetter and wetter by the second and the rain is not planning on stopping soon. 'Which way miss?' he demanded.

**10:43 p.m**

For fifteen aching minutes, Max did, wondering all the while whether he was right not to go back now, they must have been worriedly looking for him. Better, he thought, not to worry on that issue, first she must escort this lady to safety, besides, chivalric air inside of him necessitated that he ought to lead her away from danger.

They have nothing to shelter them from the rain except a hat for him and his coat for the girl, none the less it was an ironical feeling that even though he was not in the best circumstance to have met the girl in front of him, he was never the less happy that he had found a friend.

"There!" cried Cagalli, pointing to a tiny building, almost hidden against the slight rise of the ground of sand. It looked to be little more than a ruined wall from this distance. 'Come on!' she set her heels.

Watching her, Max realized that it was no longer quite so dark. The rain is slowly passing. He could see the girl quite clearly ahead of him. Her blonde hair, _like mine_, is now flailing behind her as she ran fast towards the house which was, by closer look, has the lights turn on from the inside and out. She was, maybe, of the same age as him, she had fair skin by the looks of her hands.

Reaching the tiny house, she began to pound on the door. It opened just as Max climbed up the veranda's stairs.

From the doorway stepped a tall, black-browed, pot-bellied old man, with a bent back and scrawny legs. Cagalli immediately backed away and gasp; _it was the client from this morning!._

"I thought so," he said shortly, seizing her by the arms and pushing her roughly towards one of the two men who had followed him from the house. Max's coat fell from her shoulders to the wooden ground of the veranda. The speaker took no notice. "Take care of her while I deal with this kid." He meant Max as he heavily walked with his belly forward bouncing towards Max who did nothing to run but stood with his feet firmly rooted on the stairs of the veranda glaring at the approaching menace.

"What do you think you are doing?" a woman appeared suddenly from behind the door. "Do not hold my daughter like that, you moron!"

"Mother!" Cagalli called. Max just stood by the veranda waiting for something that hinted they needed his help, but since he was against three grown men, the odds were against him as much as he wanted to help; besides it's ill-mannered to jump to action without knowing full well the situation.

He stopped on his tracks and wheeled his head away from Max and turned towards my mother, "Little girls wondering out at night without asking permission deserves to be punished." the man said coolly.

"Let go of her this instant" her mother cried out to the man, "or I will call the police!" That stopped the man from his tracks and turned his bald head towards Cagalli's direction. The two men holding her finally let go and backed away. The man walked towards Cagalli and stopped in front of her, though Cagalli was overshadowed by his height and built, she never hesitated in giving him her glare. He stooped down to her level, grinned and said, 'later pup' that amplified Cagalli's anger as he ruffled her hair with his big hands to which Cagalli angrily swat away and then they were off and slowly disappearing under the moonlight.

Cagalli could not believe what she had witnessed.

"I vouch you are not alright" a voice said to her, she heard Max's footsteps as he stride slowly towards her direction. While she refused to look up, and as Max picked up his wet coat, her mother retreated inside the house crying and wailing like a madman.

Cagalli said nothing for so long that he looked round in surprise and found that she was crying. Two big tears had rolled down hear pearl white cheeks and she was constantly staring at the wooden floor.

He stood before her feeling oddly uncomfortable, as he would feel perhaps to find another boy crying at his side. Having a sister inured him as a rule to girlish tears, but this furtive grief affected him like a premonition of tragedy. He felt a curious need to make her stop.

Now alone together, Max felt that it is his responsibility, as a gentleman, to accompany her inside before she gets sick, especially when she's feeling downcast.

**11:09 p.m**

"I am very sorry Max…" Cagalli said now in her bedclothes and sitting by the hearth with Max adjacent to her also in a dry sleeping apparel, to which Cagalli lend those a little bit masculine for his taste, since Cagalli could not afford to send him away especially this late at night. Whoever might be looking for him had to wait. "….I seemed to have embroiled you too in this situation, I'm ashamed, but if you ask me I'm not sure myself what's going on…"

"It's fine really, I don't intend for you to tell me either, I'm just contented to be of some help despite what reasons there is." He held the handle of the teapot beside them on the floor where they are presently sitting parallel to the hearth; he poured her another glass of hot milk to further cool down her nerves.

They were silent. Only the sound of the fire cracking and devouring what was left of the firewood remained consistent in shooing away the silence inside the parlor. There were no words to be shared between them, the silence was enough. It gave her sufficient time to think about what she's going to do now that her mother had placed them in such a gridlock. The thought of it led to Cagalli again to a burst of tears. Max hunted for a handkerchief in his duffel bag but found none. Instead he found the apple he had been saving for some appropriate moment of privacy when he thought of himself go hungry in his journey back. He polished it for against his shirt, eyed it's round rosiness with regret, and after a moment's hesitation he offered it to her.

She looked up, drew the long hanging sleeve of her pajamas across her nose in what he considered to be a most vulgar fashion and moved a little to sit beside him. "I don't want it." After a moment she remembered to thank him.

He began to eat it himself before she could change her mind, prior to it he felt himself extremely hungry, so why not? He was always hungry. But all the time he ate he was horribly aware of those silent tears rolling faster and faster. At last he said uncomfortably, "I wish you wouldn't cry like that."

"I'm not crying—there's something in my eye." He turned to look at her with open disbelief. "Sure you're not, what happened was not something to cry about." She made no reply to his gross impertinence and refused to look at him. He finished the apple and threw the core away in a bin beside the couch, supposing with rough sympathy that she wept out of shock. Perhaps she was afraid the same thing would happen again.

"I expect," he said, intending to be cheerful, "that those guys won't be coming back since you could easily report….." He was abruptly engulfed in a tight hug that resulted to him lying on the ground and her on top of him.

"Thank you so much Max, but I think I'm going to be fine" she assured him as Max hugged her back. Her scent filled his nose and clouded his thoughts, for a second he laid there thinking that he like the sensation of their bodies lock in each other's warm heat. Cagalli extracted herself to allow him to scale back up. She kneeled before him and gave out a wry smile that gathered the tears in her eyes.

"I forgot to ask you…" Max stealthily chattered, he gave her a grin that twinkled his blue eyes; it seemed to tease her so that she cannot help but inwardly smile. '….what your name is? You've never presented a name to me when I introduced myself.'

"Oh, I'm deeply sorry, it was rude of me…." she gave him a hurtful look yet it was sincere in its form, "….my names Cagalli Yula Atha, please to meet you." She extended a hand for him to shake and he accepted it.

"Was that your father?" he asked suddenly, breaking the gloomy awkwardness of the silent night as they continue to sit by the fire.

"No…." she hesitated to answer the truth, who knows, once he knew about her status with her mother he might get the wrong idea and suddenly look at her with indifference and apathy with the thought in mind that they are a family of whores who live through life with nothing but a body for a living, but there is no escaping the half truth and I thought of Max as a trustworthy person despite the gap of time that gave us meager time to know each other more, but as seconds leapt to minutes I began to feel that it would be the best of ideas to share to him a part of my life, so—

"He was a client of my mother actually" I shifted my gaze to Max's blue eyes, searching for any sign of withdrawal from me or a sign of disgust for that matter, "he is not related to me or my mother."

When I looked at him, I felt compelled to study, examine and memorize his features, he was a handsome lad indeed, with that blonde hair and matching blue eyes, he had this "redish" hue painted on his lips and that angle on the side of his face showing a boyish façade. I liked it when he smiled at me, I felt instantly inspired.

He motioned to stand up and I squeamishly gather the china wares we've used. "I'll take that." He reached out for the wares I've gathered and for two seconds our fingers brushed each other and I can't help but look away as I handed the wares to him. Thank goodness he was not aware.

**11: 13 p.m**

"Will you be okay on that couch?" I pointed at the couch near the window.

"It's practically fine, no worries" he beamed at me as he sat on the coach and positioned himself to sleep, grabbing the comforter and an extra pillow from my arm which I collected from my room the minute he was out in the parlor and was inside the kitchen. After that he muttered a thank you and lay down. He was about to close his eyes but he glanced at me underneath the arm he used to block light from his eyes.

"Is anything the matter?" he asked worriedly and he instantly sat up.

"Isn't anyone going to get worried why you're not yet home?" I asked, wondering why he was at ease by just staying in a stranger's home and not even bothering to ask for a telephone to call home.

"Is it a matter of anyone searching for me or are you worried why I didn't even bother to get at least an ounce of fret?" He decided to question me instead.

"Maybe, in some angle, it seems to be the case" I said as I sat down on the center table now sitting opposite from each other.

He looked away to the side as he silently chuckle. "We'll, let's just say my guardians thought I already slept in my room and they never bothered to check whether the bed I was supposed to be occupying was indeed occupied," he has this attitude in using ambiguity as he's shield from a direct question that ushered him to answer, but he decided to cut the chase and told me the meaning behind his words for I still seemed not to get the point why his guardian still has not found out that he was not they're in his room tucked in bed. _He must have been a professional sneaker._ I glared at him and it was enough for him to heavily sigh and hang his head as if he was defeated. "Okay, I snuck out" he admitted raising both his hands in a surrender; still he was not feeling a bit sorry, "but don't worry, I haven't ran away, it's just my habit whenever I felt bored cooped up inside the house all day."

I haven't found any good reason why I smiled at his honesty, but I felt an urge to. "You better get some rest, you are worn out yourself" he said ruffling my slightly damp hair. I obliged and stood up. I bid him goodnight as I climbed up the stairs. At least something good came out this day.

As I tucked myself to bed, I wondered why my mom hasn't come out from her room after the incident, but after a minute I felt sleepiness dawn on me that I decided to worry about it in the morning.

**2:24 a.m**

I was woken up by a sound of coughing from what seems to be somewhere along the halls. I slowly sat up in bed, sleep still prevented to clear the cloud in my head and the dizziness I felt. The coughing still continued, more intense than the first, it was like a strangled sound in the air almost like it was weeping. I was compelled to slip from my covers and gather my slippers, fit my feet into them and stood up. I lazily march towards the direction of the door and twisted the knob to open it. As I poke a head out, I waited for a minute to conclude that the coughing had stopped and that the sound came from mother's room, she must have drank loads of liquor to have her cough that bad. I crossed the hall and decided to go to the kitchen to fetch some water for mother. The house was silent and dark, even with my slippers on, my feet were still a bit cold. Outside, the frogs were singing there song, there tunes like that of a mooing cow and the waves of the sea were like silent whispers of the night, a never ending whisper, it made me feel a bit of ease and warm inside. I passed by the living room and see if Max was woken up from his slumber. I approached the living room but found no one on the couch once occupied by him, just the comforter well-folded and a single pillow modestly placed on top the comforter. Those things laid on the couch were the only indication that Max had been there. I began to think back to our discussion earlier that he must have been worried about not contacting his guardians so he decided to leave early, whatever the reasons were I'm sure he won't allow his guardian to know that he was such a sneaker. Now that I think about it, I never get to thank him properly for what he did for me that night, maybe, if fate would still allow me a time to meet him again, I'll properly thank his efforts for saving me.

**2:31 a.m**

I climbed back the stairs and balanced a cup of water and my other hand holding the handrail afraid that I might stubbed one of my foot and tumble back to the end of the stairs. I arrived at my mother's door and grasp the knob, twisting it to open. I pushed the handle forward, as I enter my mother's room a gust of cold air brushed my face and neck that I had to place the glass of water on the top of a cabinet and tug my jacket tightly around my person. The room was scarcely lit by the moon that as I walked towards the foot of my mother's bed I tumbled a little by what seem to be bottles of liquor. Indeed, she had been drinking volumes of liquor. Even though I scarcely see in the dark, I could still find my way around the room, I have memorized this room since I was but a little girl.

"Mom.." my word was nothing but a tumble of whisper as I called out for her, she seems to be perfectly sound and asleep that I decided not to call on her lest she wakes up. I made a decision to place the glass of water on a cabinet beside her bed; at least she'll find no need to go to the kitchen to fetch some water.

As I began to walk a few paces back to the door something bump at my face. It was very cold and hard almost like stone; I found no base, no pedestal nor a foot that which it could stand on the ground, so I assumed it was tied somewhere in the roof. I couldn't make out the figure, but my heart began to beat rapidly, I was transfixed with some kind of fear that I had to crawl to prevent my knees from giving away and to closely navigate me towards the light switch. I was not prepared to see the sight before me as I turned on the light, my eyes jiggled, my hands cold, my heart pumped rapidly that I felt dizzy in an instant and for a second or two I took a deep breath and lo, my screams echoed and pierced the silence of the night.

**OoOoOoOoOoOooooooooo**

**Thank you so much for reading this chapter! I actually have the draft of the next chapter I just need I little adjustments and some checking of misspelled words, grammatical errors and the like. I hope you will be patient enough to wait for the update. I can assure you the next chapter won't take a week. RxR. But please, if you want to comment something regarding the way I write please make it constructive. 'Till next time!**

**If you have any questions, suggestions, and clarifications, feel free to pm me.**

**{HNNKN777}**


	6. Awkward Reunion

**A/N: Thank you so much for those who have reviewed and read the last chapter! I know that there hasn't much AsuCaga interaction in the last chapter. I thinkI would indulge you with this one seeing as Athrun would be appearing in this chapter…hehe I know that was a spoiler, but at least I left the details for you to read. Thank once again and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own either GS or GSD even the characters; they all belong to their respective owners. The only thing I own here is the story and the plot, the names of the characters here are randomly chosen and it was not written here for any purpose, the characters are not meant to portray someone in real life, they are basically pure fiction.**

**OoOoO**

Orb; Siddal Orphanage (4 years later)

My names Cagalli Yula Atha, currently sixteen years old. I have long blonde hair and a pair of amber eyes. A lot of people told me that I have a wonderful pair of fiery eyes, they say it shows a lot about me being a fighter and that I would never let myself get swallowed up by circumstances, these eyes attest to refused to get beaten by life and it's ruthless toy with fate, my eyes seems to tell them all about myself, it seemed to be no longer a window but a door to my soul, more than that they never considered thinking that these pair of eyes saw a fraction of the tragedies and harsh realities of life where one could not live without sheer courage and braveness to face it. I was one victim of cruel fate. I became an orphan when I was twelve, and I've lived here in this orphanage for 4 years and it has kept me living until then. When I was twelve, my mom took her life by hanging herself that one fateful night I would never forget, but something I would always refuse to remember, it was both something I would give willingly everything to forget but manage to remember. Never the less, even drowned by sorrow, I could only face the world with a knowing smile plastered on my face and to let the people be deceived by my pair of eyes who seem to tell them that I had moved on and that I was entirely okay. I was a fighter, yes, but a fighter sometimes had to feel defeat in order to show that he is worthy of such name. No one knows how to be a fighter unless he knows how to stumble and try and try again. That's why I gave myself hope.

Throughout the years I've lived with that grief, that scar, but because of it I found the strength and will to live on and not to dwell in the past mistakes of others. I became a fighter because of that incident. It tore me to pieces but then I built new ones, new pieces, out of that experience. That is why, I was able to dream a better life someday, something entirely different that it gave me new perspective and a prospect for the future. Until then I needed to finish school and aim my hopes on making that dream a reality. I continued to enroll myself in my past school, the orphanage was kind enough to lend me financial help while I work at a pastry shop to gain my individual income for the things I might need, sometimes both as a waitress and an "errand girl" that my co-workers constantly label me as, and often times an assistant to the owner. The owner of the pastry shop was an old women who was a dowager after her husband died in an occasion while skiing with his friends, she was a good fellow, well-hearted and kind enough to accept me, she was like a mother to us all and very well efficient when she works. They say I was her favorite seeing that I do all the errands every now and then and that I was a hard worker, I assist her every now and then when she bake pastries, I learned a lot from her and she taught me stuffs starting from the cakes up to the coffee designs. I felt that my life was starting to get better, and I always hope that it would remain that way up to the end.

The orphanage did not stop me from continuing my education in that same school where my friends are; they were so worried about what has become of me and added support by being constant companions. I still continue to hang out with Henry and his friends, we still do fencing even though Henry's got little time to spare for us, since that time when his relatives came to Orb he is nothing but a busy butt, he said something about the Prime minister's son and daughter, and that he is to have the daughter of the prime minister as his bride once he finishes high school. It's tough job for him, but I know, a person with his caliber can do great and wonderful things in the future. So as to celebrate his engagement with his soon-to-be fiancée and cousin, he invited us on a trip to revelry. The engagement party was to be scheduled on the day of the "all-hallows-eve". It was untimely bearing in mind that it was a day of festivity for the dead, but her family insisted that it's what she likes and that it was very much okay, "It's not as if the dead will prevent us from being engaged," she commented one time to Henry's parents which Henry was able to relate to us on one of our spare time.

I began to feel fondness with the girl Henry's about to get engaged to, in return he told me that she was excited to meet me personally not just from Henry's narration and stories but personally seeing me for the very first time I felt nervous and excited due to the unknown information that Henry must have blurted out about his friend and me to his soon-to-be fiancée. Never the less, we were to board on the car assigned to us by Henry and arrive at their estate by seven o'clock, he told us that a lot of important guests would arrive, both from the P.L.A.N.T.S and from Orb, he told us one time that what was most exciting and startling at the same time was that P.L.A.N.T.S prince and heir to the throne was to make an appearance on that very night, seeing the connections between his father, being one of the members of the P.L.A.N.T.S supreme council and considering that a son of his would be engaged to the daughter of a Britannia diplomat makes a pretty good arena for political and business interest for both P.L.A.N.T.S and Britain.

"He never once appeared in the media and even in person for that matter" Henry said once when we were enjoying one of our recess together with his friends, we were out underneath an oak tree sitting in a circle talking about what we would like to become in the future, the conversation boiled down from one wanting to become a politician and ended up discussing about the mysterious prince of P.L.A.N.T.S, " the only firm information we have of him, thanks to the council, was that he is currently living in the estate of his fiancée, they needed to monitor him every now and then and must prevent him from seeing the public lest he get's kidnap or worst get killed, the council can no longer be more lenient on matters concerning the crown prince and heir to the throne, the last time resulted to the death of the King and his wife."

"Have you seen him once?" Julie was all giddy inside; hearing the oddness of the situation of the crown prince resulted in an overexcitement for the day of Henry's engagement on Julie's part.

"They say he was a handsome fellow, skilled with both the piano and the violin, silent and very smart too, he's almost perfect in every way, I began to doubt whether such a person do exist, but considering that no one was to neither meet nor come near him aside from his foster family, the information given would either be true or unreliable."

Julie's mouth pouted a bit and her face began to unlit from her usual cheeriness that Henry had to immediately support his statement, "I-I'm sure we will be able to judge for ourselves on the day of engagement, who knows, the higher-ups might allow him to stay here for a couple of days to, maybe, unwind or something and if we're lucky we might be able to chat with him personally during the ball, my soon-to-be brother-in-law is said to be a friend of him as he is a constant in visiting his London cousin, he might give me valid information's once he gets back."

"Isn't the 'London cousin' also the prince's fiancée?" Julie stressed, receiving a nod from Henry, she continued "I saw her some time in the fall with her parents in France, the prince was not with them though, I began to think that they're trying to cut him out from life in general" she scoffed.

"My mentor told me," Henry quoted, "that the royal son is not someone to be taken so lightly, he told me of how the prince vehemently refused when the council tried to persuade him for a regency to proxy in his place. What the prince did prove to be a very big responsibility to carry, for my part, difficult enough to handle for his age, but so far my mentor told me he was doing well, in fact, nothing changed in him and the PLANTS is still progressing despite the ruler being so young," Henry shifted a little from his seat, he could not believe that such a person in power be able to hold sovereignty in such tiny hands, " to give him free reign, they provided him four years before the accession ceremony would commence,"

"What's that accession ceremony?" Cagalli finally spoke, feeling more interested in this whole royal thing.

"Hm, let me see," Henry tilted his head vertically to search for a brief and understandable explanation, "accession describes the event of a new Sovereign taking the throne upon the death of the previous King or Queen, it is usually followed by the coronation."

"Why would they provide him four years then?" Renard inquired feeling all the more confused.

"Maybe because the crown prince want to settle down first, you know, get to know the responsibilities that he needed to know as he refused for a proxy besides, Renard, I'm not him so I cannot fully answer that" Henry began to shift the conversation as the subject beforehand was starting to get confusing.

OoOoOo

The day of the party arrived; everything was in motion inside the Siddal Orphanage, there was a busy clamor inside the parlor that everybody inside had to gather around the parlor asking something they might find to assist with. The more mature orphans helped me don a lacey white, low cut gown that ended up showing a portion of my shoulders and back, it was an umpire style of gown that the hem touched the floors but it was enough at length to prevent me from tripping, to compliment my outfit for the night our big sister suggested that I should tie a necklace around my neck to accentuate the color of the gown to which I gladly followed. A portion of the sides of my hair, the once that touched my cheek and cheek bones were tied up in a braid behind the back of my head, all in all I looked like a "fairy princess" as what Tommy commented. I only had a bit of preparations to make before the car arrives in half an hour, but considering I only pasted a red lipstick on my lips, donned my attire and slipped into a pair of silver doll shoes, I was ready in a jiffy.

Minutes later the car assigned to us by Henry arrived and Julie was eager enough to slide the glass window to call for me while I bid my goodbyes and thanks.

"Wow! You look like a princess in that outfit," Julie said while I slipped inside the limo, "Where'd you get that?".

"I borrowed it from one of my big sis in the orphanage." I told her as I swing close the car door and then we were off. The rest of my friends and classmates were all impeccably dress for the occasion. I silently observed them as they idly chatter and served themselves a glass of wine they found inside the limo.

"Do you think your big sis has other gowns the same type as the one you're wearing?" Julie continued to ask me.

I shifted a little in my seat to look at her, "I'm not sure Julie, but if you want I will ask her."

"That's great! Thank you so much Cagalli! I bet all the guys tonight would be ogling at you, you look so beautiful, and the attire complimented you well!"

I colored at her remark, I didn't know what else to respond but I tried my best to be generous for her compliment "I think your equally beautiful too Julie, not just me." I smiled at her. "Perhaps your very excited now that your going to see the prince" as I reminded her of the memory her face lit up in a familiar smile.

"I just hope he's going to be exactly like how I imagine him to be" she sighed.

We continue to drive towards Contevo where Henry's estate was perched on plane ground and where the event is to be held. After an hour or so, we came to a pair of handsome gates bearing the crest of F that I thought stands for Fitzbane, the front yard was enormous and the landscape was artistically planned, a huge fountain rested in the middle, at the center of it was a baroque statues that seems to be a nymph holding an earthen made jar that poured water unto the watery surface. The fountain was encircled with roses and poppies that bloomed and exuded a warm scent for the evening. The venue looked simply ethereal.

A lot of guests have arrived and has exited from their cars one by one, guided by the valets and butlers, from the makeshift of extravagant and luxurious wheels, one could deduced that majority of the guests were from an affluent and well-off families from both P.L.A.N.T.S and Orb and maybe from other countries as well. We pulled to a stop before a marbled staircase. The valets opened the car door and we were ushered out, they gave a slightly low bow before they held out their hands for us to hold on to and be guided towards an equally huge and magnificent door.

As we were ushered inside one of the men, perhaps the ones that check the list of guests that have arrived asked us of our names and inquired how they would announce our arrival to the thousands of guests just underneath the stairs. I felt nervous and shy that I ask them whether it was necessary, I can't have them know my name and have thousands of eyes look at my direction.

"It's very important that we should ma'am, we were only told to do just that as the Central Office, it's protocol, if you want we could just announce your surname or your first name for that matter, will that be alright?" He looked at me and smiled, "besides, we wouldn't want your beauty to go to waste, it's worth an exposure, you are properly dressed for the occasion and you look astonishing, if I could compliment you." He tried to soothe my nervousness though it didn't help one bit, the others have entered and their names have been announce, I was the only one left at the entrance and a lot of people were now waiting behind me, it added pressure.

"Okay, just my surname would suffice and thank you so much sir for bearing with me." At last he beamed at me one last time and scribbled something onto a tiny sheet of paper and passed them to a butler to whom ushered me at the top of the stairway. After this Cagalli, the terror would be over, just calm yourself and act the part.

The person beside me a couple of meters away, took a glance at the sheet, read it and thumped aloud what seems to be a staff. The noise below died down and immediately all eyes were at me, I could even see Julie amongst the crowd from this height.

"The young lady; Miss Atha!"

OoOoOo

"Congratulation sister! You're finally engaged!" Maximilian gave her sister a bear hug that affected her to squeal and evidently twist herself away from his choking hug.

"Really Maxy, do you have to do that! For shame I'm not a child anymore!" She trotted across the room and stood straight before a lengthy mirror, checking if there was any need to include something in her apparel.

"Ah! But you will always be my little sister." He continued to tease her relentlessly to see if he still could see that little old Bessie inside of her that might never come out when she is finally wed.

The term of endearment brought her to scamper towards her brother and hugged like what he did a while ago. Tears of joy trickled down her cheeks as she looks up, "Yes, I will always be your little sister, so you better keep your promise to me." And to assure her he earnestly replied, "I will; besides I will have you second in my priority list to never forget to love."

"Second?" She released her hand around him and arched an eyebrow.

"Why sister, you don't expect me to be a bachelor forever do you? Also, like it or not mother and father will be assigning me, as to what they're currently doing, to be with someone soon."

"I fear you won't be single any time shortly with that increasing habit of yours going gallivanting all night, I wonder how I became so loyal to you to go as far as not telling Mother and father about your every day escapades. I wouldn't be much astounded to hear one day someone knocking at our doors telling me that you got her pregnant."

"God's blood! Where did you get that idea?" Maximilian gasped and clutched her sisters little fingers, shocked at the words tumbling out from her sister's mouth. Surely he's not that much of a devil as to stoop down cavorting common girls and prostitutes! Heavens! He doesn't even have the slightest idea that his sister would chatter to him about bedding women, or in any case hint it.

"Ever since we arrived here in Orb four years ago, you've done nothing but vanish all night leaving a dummy on your bed and return by sun break before our nanny gets the chance to discover you weren't entirely occupying that royal bed of yours." She reasoned as she extracted her fingers from his to jabbed an index finger at her brother's chest. Elizabeth was not entirely sure her intuitions were right but everybody could give first hand opinion.

"True—true, I'm no monk, but I want to assure you, precious little sister, that even at my worst, I didn't go around cities and towns seducing every women who came across my path, granted if that's what your trying to insinuate,"

Tired of their little sibling "squabble" Elizabeth sat on a chaise longue thinking that it's best to leave it at that for she still has no heart to distrust her brother.

They were silent for a moment as Max leaned on a chair near the window gazing below and seeing that many of her sister's guests have arrived to join her on this celebration. "At least," Elizabeth began, "you would be here this evening and until my wedding day, it means a lot to me" She smiled warmly, and Max smiled back.

After five minutes Max led himself out as the menagerie of Elizabeth's classmates, friends and relatives burst from outside the door and proceeded to greet her. He thought to himself that amongst the crowd of girls and women, he was the rose among the thorns, lest he gets himself involve again with the usual pecking and hugging by the relatives he best get the chance of getting out before their attention shifts from his sister to him. He had to save himself some dignity while he still can and face retribution during the ball where, without a doubt, a bunch of daughters will be lining-up and parading before him persuaded by their parents, requesting him to at least grant them the chance to get to know him and maybe, if they're lucky, be able to fish out a match for a next engagement.

He walked the halls that paraded likings of the past centuries, decades, eons ago relatives he had not known a single knowledge about except his great grandfather to whom his mother was well verse with because of a deed she needed to thank him for. His mother told him of how his great grandfather pushed aside decorum and stooped down to help a young lady lost in the streets with no home to turn to and adopt her as his own, eventually her presence was famous in the household that his father began to notice her as she work to repay someday great grandfathers kindness. In due course, they fell in-love, got married and lived HAPPILY EVER AFTER, like the fairy tales his nanny used to read to him before he went to bed. Actually the book was not suggested by Harry but it was rather used as a tool by his nanny to bore him to sleep. Granted, he was not a difficult child, unlike his sister who was the fiery one and quite a spitfire.

It was minutes after that the sound of his footsteps were coupled by a faint, thundering and booming voice of the footmen already starting to introduce the coming guests. "The young lady; Miss Atha!"

He paused for a second to allow his mind to digest the words poking his head, he leaned a little closer and when he processed the information in his head he instantly dash towards the destination of the ballroom.

He swore he cleaned his ears thoroughly before exiting the bathroom. The name could have been something else, but one thing that assures him is that an Atha lived in this part of the country. Her name was as clear to him as the day he met her that night, ever since he knew of her, he could not forget her name. She was a friend to whom he could not easily forget. Cagalli Yula Atha? Is this a coincidence?

Even with that thought in mind he wished for his luck to work this one time, to grant this opportunity to see this girl again whom he has not seen for four years. He smiled in front of the door leading to the ballroom, amazement were evident on the faces of the officials guarding the door, when familiarity stroked, they schooled a clumsy bow as Max gave short time to fix his appearance and nodded to the guard beside him to open the door.

OoOoOo

She found herself in the midst of a crowd each finding a place in the table to settle down and perhaps chat with a fellow beside them. Cagalli, along with her friends, settled on a little round table beside the window that projected the magnificent garden and a gazebo. She pictured a trip towards the garden if the event would likely be of no need for the guest's attentions when the ceremony would be over. She thought of congratulating Harry after the guests have dissolve from around him. Harry has been, since the start of the night, surrounded by fields of people bidding him congratulations and the sort; he has been on the limelight today that Cagalli felt a need to give him time with his guests before she makes an appearance to congratulate him as well.

After the guests were all seated, the orchestra started to play a symphony of mellifluous piece that wafted around the ballroom. Cagalli found herself in the midst of luxury and grandeur that she couldn't help herself but smile. She saw Henry holding a blonde-haired girl with his hand as he ushered her towards the middle of the long table that stretched a few meters able to host a lot of important persons present on the long table. He looked so handsome today, like the young Lord his name so fitted him. Elizabeth, she has come to know of her name by the numerous people discussing bout her throughout the wait, she was insipidly pretty and Henry was attentive. An unoccupied chair stood conspicuously amongst the ones occupied three chairs away from Henry. Must be for the crown prince? She remembered, but where is he?

"Ladies and gentleman, may I have your attention please" a man, rather grey haired, the ones that comes with age, with eminent creases present on his face, his hair push out from his face stood up from the long table clutching the neck of a glass, presumably Harry's father, "the night is warm and the festivity has yet to come but let me first appeal to you and to my son," he dipped his head along with the glass of wine to the direction of Harry, his son "what a day of jovial pride to have my son and my precious niece together bonded for one purpose" an applause thunder around the hall as they come with harmony of thoughts and wishes, his voice boomed with that hint of arrogance and pride for what has accomplished to happen "we are gathered here today, to celebrate with us the birth of a new vision….." as Henry's father continues with his speech, a number of people were distractedly gazing at the stairways. People were starting to murmur amongst themselves as the two people standing at the flight of stairs were unmoved by such snag. The female with a long blonde hair fixed in a bun stood graciously with a royal stature that showed her affluent status and mistakenly beautiful features. She smiled, an expression that glittered her youth and showered her admiration from the crowd. Her gown reflected her ethereal beauty as she strides with the male equally astounding and perfect in his stride, she was wearing a white-colored grown that match the red hue of the boys honorary ZAFT uniform. The boy completely schooled his expression matching his perfect gait; his emerald green eyes were dull before the light but never the less it produced an air of authority and languid effort to appear as an uncommon character amongst the crowd of subjects. Their precision and synchronization as they march hand in hand sent a vision of perfection itself. How well they fit together. His princely features offered no mistake and room for errors as the crowd began to inquire amongst themselves if the crown prince had indeed finally shown himself at last after so many years of hiding from the public.

The duo stopped at the last set of steps as the staff from earlier pounds the wooden floor; the process produced a ripple of sound that interrupted a moment of Henry's father. The speaker stopped from his monologue and shifted his eyes towards the twosome, secretly smiling.

The footmen declared, "His Royal Highness: the crown prince of P.L.A.N.T.S and the Lady Rosa Fortesque!

Athrun and Rosa bowed courteously to the nobles of P.L.A.N.T.S. and they echoed the same. The speaker continued what he was tasked to do before the royal prince and his fiancée entered the room, as soon as he was finished the couple had seated themselves on their respective chairs: Athrun is located beside Elizabeth's father, who was two seats away from Henry to the right and Rosa beside Elizabeth's mother who was also two seats away from Elizabeth to the left.

OoOoOo

As soon as the merriment started Cagalli could not find where her visions were playing amongst the persona she'd seen beyond the crowd of frenzy colors. Athrun is here and she could not mean herself to believe what she has seen. She noticed how the cool emerald eyes remained expressionless even with a fair lady accompanying him and the orchestra and merriment suggesting jovial air. She thought only how Henry described him to be; they had indeed sent her perfection itself, as a result he has drown his sense of normalcy to the ones who knew who he was. She wanted so much to go to him and talk what happened before he was entirely gone from Orb, gone from her life but even if people started to congest in the middle of the room to dance and get merry, majority of the nobles were crowding around him as if guarding the child from public view. At the table, Henry's father was holding the nobles beside the prince's chair, with some of the nobles toadying to him, bobbing their heads in obsequious agreement to every word the great lad uttered. They were simply amused by his new set of ideas. He was seventeen and old enough to converse at par with gentlemen of great knowledge.

They spoke to him of his accession in months time, but the prince preferred other subject to think about at the moment and regrettably oblige.

That night Cagalli watched as the men and women of P.L.A.N.T.S danced by the music in the center of the ballroom. The trestle tables had been moved facing the long vertical window that reflected the white and grayish splendor of the moon, the tables now bore honey cakes, roasted turkey, sweetmeats, and more pastries. While the dancers made merry, boisterous children ran about, weaving their way among those eating, drinking, talking, and laughing. Some old folks were with other elders, beating time to the music of the harp and drum on the knees and reminiscing about centuries past, back when they were juveniles. In the shadows, couples whispered and kissed and a few slipped away into the darkness.

Henry danced with particular relish. He held the hand of Elizabeth and swung her with such abandon, it was a wonder they didn't collide with the other dancers. Normally, Cagalli would be dancing; too, for she enjoyed it and she is undeniably a very good dancer, what with few years in ballet classes, surely this is just another form of it although with a need of lesser grace. But not tonight. Tonight, she preferred to watch with quiet contentment and maybe find her way to speak to the prince who was also her lost and now found friend. But even with the upsurge of merriment, she could not put herself forward and face him for what seem that the Lords and Ladies still lingered around him; they seem not to tire from questioning him.

OoOoOo

Athrun was there, sitting among the men of the council, talking to them about him and other matters that relates to state affairs. They listened with rapt attention, pausing only to drink a wine or ask a question. Amongst the elders and aged men, Athrun seems to be the oldest in terms of wisdom generated from old age, although Athrun was young in years only, his great sense, judgment, his moderation and experience bespeak a man old in wisdom.

Cagalli was left alone in the table with a few neighboring women chattering about latest bachelors and trendiest ladies apparel. She was left alone to tend to herself for amusement as one of her friend, Renard Cross, who promised to her that he will accompany her so as to prevent her from feeling out of place, was dancing in sulky silence with one of the nobles eldest daughter, Lady Jane Fennet? He looked bored, and at the end of the measures seemed disposed to return to the table where he had been before he went to the dance floor.

This curious little side play penetrated Cagalli's vacant gaze just sufficiently to prick her sense of self-preservation; it was a rather sturdy plant than it had been the previous year. She had a small stake in life now—not much, but enough to make her care whether or not she would celebrate her next birthday, and what she saw between Cross and Aragon was sufficient to alarm her. After today, Renard Cross was the Cross's only remaining marriageable son. And Renard had been plainly been told to dance with Jane. So-

Following Renard's progress across the hall, Cagalli saw Athrun finally stood up, bend his head swiftly to kiss the hand of the lady he was with tonight, excused himself from the gentlemen and ladies and guided her to the dance floor.

A lifetime of unremitting duty lay behind Athrun who had spent his seventeen years mastering the rigid servitude of the P.L.A.N.T.S prince. In all of P.L.A.N.T.S there was no place which equaled the cold formality of P.L.A.N.T.S and Athrun had learned to subordinate his own personal desires beneath the needs of the state and what his duty dictates him to do. Even at party's he refused to be swayed by mere reason of jovial grace that unbinds men from worry and decorum. Athrun has grown indeed, he was even more handsome than he was years ago, and he's becoming to be more like a man which added beauty to his features. For sure the ladies in the hall are now undressing him with their eyes and feast on his presence despite him dancing with a fair lady in his arm that equaled a beauty that of an elfin princess.

The girl he was holding smiled at his request and eagerly allowed her hands to rest on Athrun's hand as he led her to the dance floor.

Cagalli was feeling not at all ease by the sight as she now stood alone at the corner, she feels she has been misplaced in the array of merriment. She began to think that she was, maybe, just a passing acquaintance to Athrun, they were never really friends, were they? But, do friends share a kiss between friends? She shook the argument playing inside her head at the same time, though, she felt a little ache of sorrow and self-pity that she immediately condemned. After all, she had more to be happy about than many these days. All was well—at least for now—and perhaps that was all one could hope for in such times.

"My lady, would you care to accompany me in the dance floor?" his voice sounded familiar to Cagalli's ears that when she twirled around she instantly remembered to whom that voice belongs to, though it was years ago, she never failed to forget. When she turned around she saw his face, what was behind the apparently innocuous presence of this disturbingly handsome and well-grown lad? He smiled at her and she instantly remembered how she wants those smiles. He had aged, just like Athrun, and like him he was equally handsome though in a different respect.

"Max!" instead of placing her hands on his; she ran up to him and gave him a hug. When she let go of him, she saw him smile again at her and she echoed the same. "How have you been? It's been so long since I last saw you—" he shush her with his finger on her lips as he held her hands, placed it on top of his own and carelessly led her to the dance floor.

"I prefer we dance, would that be alright?" he asked her. She gave him a bold smile and held out her hand. "With pleasure, my Lord." His lips jerked up in the smallest of smiles, but she felt his approval and was glad.

Max, who had remembered the pert child he had left that night at her house, the child he had not mean to leave alone four years ago was gone, and instead he saw a girl on the brink of womanhood, quite striking now with her bold coloring and slim figure, exactly pretty in a mysterious way. She had already grown up behind his back and he was gladder that for the first time in years he'd be able to hold the girl he wanted to know more and maybe, love.

She immediately rued being so pleased by any man's approval, except by then he'd grasped her hand in his strong hand and led her finally into the center of the circle. Other guests have vacated the floor as they would like to witness the prime minister's son dance with an unknown pretty lady he was holding in his hands. They began to whisper amongst themselves, especially the ladies, about the girl he was dancing with; some of them added side comments that they'd wish he'd ask them first for a dance and not the nobody he will soon be dancing with.

"Not to surprise you Cagalli," the way he said her name amounted to a degree of endearment that she like it to hear him say her name once more, "would you like something robust for a change in the beat?"

"It's fine; on the contrary, I like something new for a change." She said as she beamed at his request, she found the need to please him in some way that it altered the way she would decide on matters that needed decorum, not that there is anything wrong with a change of style in dancing, is there? She could not help on delving on his tease and to go by his insinuations. He bowed to her as the music began its melody and beat, and Cagalli bowed the same. She felt an uncanny feeling of excitement.

And then they danced. It took only a few steps to realize that Max danced very well, with a lithe, yet masculine, grace and confidence that told her he danced often. Watching him, she could not feel that she needed to do the same. Determined not to be outdone, she danced as she never had before. She twirled and spun, clapped, and leapt to and fro.

Until the harp and drum ceased and she was panting and breathless, hot and disheveled. Max applauded, and so did all the other people gathered there, equally amaze at how good they were for a dancing partner. She immediately wondered if it had been a mistake to give herself free rein. Maybe she should have danced with more dignity and decorum.

"Would you care for something to drink, Cagalli?" Max asked. She was thirsty and wanted to leave the center floor and away from spectators so, lifting her chin, she walked away beside Max, likewise doing her best to ignore the surreptitious glances the lords and ladies and guests exchanged. This may indeed have been a mistake, and yet….she didn't even feel sorry. Instead, she found herself remembering the thrill of dancing, touching Max's hand, seeing him move with such skill and power, watching him so close.

Handing her a glass of wine, Max's hand brushed over hers and she blushed.

"You dance very well" Max said as they walked to an empty garden a short distance away from the ballroom, shrouded in the shadow of the tree. Too shadowed, perhaps, but she didn't want to feel the prying eyes of the guests upon them as they talked. "So do you" she replied."

They sat together on a bench underneath the big oak tree, silent for a moment before Max broke the stillness with a question. "It's been what? Four years, since I last saw you?

She giggle and looked at him, "I suppose,"

"It's a surprise; I did not know you would be here."

"Neither have I actually."

"Have you been invited by one of the guests?"

"No, by the groom-to-be, by Henry"

"By Henry? What? Are you acquainted?" he said, clasping his hands and leaning forward, his forearms on his thighs.

"He's one of my treasured friends at school"

"Treasured?" somehow he was a bit puzzled by it. It was an ambiguous term and subject to different interpretations yet Max could find no room for Cagalli to have such feelings for Henry, to him it was considered a familial term. The ones that expresses sibling love. _I hope._

"Yes, treasured." She folded her hands on her lap and sighed. "He is o ne of the guys who helped me in my stage of recovery." Cagalli had not wanted to tell Max of what happened to her when she was twelve, but the conversation would lead to that night however she looks for alibis, if the subject of conversation where any different, Max would eventually ask her how she was and what happened after he left.

"Ah, so you're the friend he was talking to me about, my cousin talks a lot about you. Why? What happened? Why do you need to recuperate over something?"

Amongst the list of questions Cagalli only wondered the relationship between Henry and Max."Your cousin?" she was shocked.

"Yes, my cousin from my Mother's side, but that's beside the point."

This could be a long narration but Cagalli could not find it in her heart not to tell him, just like the last time when they were both sitting by the fire and she telling him of her life and of her situation.

"When you left, my mother hanged herself, obviously, I was the only one who found her in her room dead and cold…."

**OoOoOoO**

Throughout the recount of my tragic experience, Max had been silent; he asked no questions, he was not disturbed by the sounds of celebration inside the ballroom, nor did he ever stare at anybody but me, he was intense in listening that I feel I was telling to him bed time stories, those stories with Happily Ever After's and the like. But these were not bed time stories but rather realities of my experiences retold to him.

As I stare at Max, I began to feel the need for him to tell me it was alright and that he'd hug me after that, but at the back of my mind I thought that Max was just like Athrun; a passing acquaintance and the need for him to accompany me tonight was out of sheer hospitality of a host towards his guest. But in a very nick of time, my intuitions were proven wrong.

She slid Max a weary glance, "She sounds like a lunatic, doesn't she?"

Max was confused. "—my mother, I mean"

"Who knows that she had it in her to end her life, she ended it like I was not significant enough for her to live on, at least she should have lived for my sake. She was too timid, to weak. So was I."

"I find that hard to believe."

She gave him a rueful smile.

To Max, it seemed he doesn't like this part of her to be so pessimistic, he wished he could bring her mother back to life for her happiness, but he knew it was impossible, only a God could do the impossible things and looking at himself, he conceded he was not in the category. The very thing he can do know is uplift her spirit and maybe provide to her a new outlook and perspective in life.

"She has lived long enough to see you grow." He added hoping this might uplift her a bit.

"I know—"

"And you know what? The thought of it made me want to appreciate her in that respect," he smiled warmly at her, "without her I would not have to admire the beautiful lady sitting beside me tonight."

It was the greatest, most thrilling compliment she'd ever received, and for a moment, she was too overwhelmed to reply. Instantly, she forgot the thoughts of her mother, it was now filled with Max's earnest smile and warm blue eyes.

He rose and stood before her, his built more visible in the flickering light of the lightings. " I suppose, I've ruined your night by prying into your private life,"

"No Max, I appreciate the concern."

"Then would it be a bright idea that I escort you back to the ballroom? I bet your friends would be looking for you by know." He offered an arm to her to whom she graciously accepted before she replied, "I suppose so."

As they were heading towards the entrance back to the room Max decided to tell her a last piece of advice, "Cheer up from then on, I believe the hardest thing in life is to keep living. As a friend I would love to be by your side when you feel like life is beginning to be difficult for you, I hope you would grant me this request Cagalli."

"As much as I don't want you to get involve with my problems—"

"Oh I'd love to, it's what friends do, and they should remain transparent to each other. I hope you would see in some degree my devotions in wanting to be friends with you. Would that be alright?" As they stopped at the mouth of the entrance Cagalli was feeling happier as time goes by, Max wanted to be friends with her, and she all the more accepted it. In that instant Cagalli want nothing more than to cuddle him and hug him really good, but her respect for herself and to him was imminent to prevent her from doing so.

Instead she replied with a curt nod and a rather expressive smile, "More than alright Max!"

"I'm so glad! Let me escort you then back to your table." They navigated their way towards the location of Cagalli's desk as oceans of guests had grown by the time they have talked underneath the oak tree.

As Max seated Cagalli to her chair, her friends still had not come back. She supposes they went to search for Henry to congratulate him on his successful engagement party.

"I'm afraid Cagalli, that I too have to take my leave—"

"Where are you going?"

"I have to attend to some business, my parents briefed me before the start of the party that I have to welcome and attend to some very important guest, one of the ambassadors I suppose. I'll see you around!" She waved a hand at him, eventually his figure was swallowed up by the crowd and Max vanished from her line of sight. She's left alone again.

**OoOoOo**

Harry, looking over to the corner of the room, saw Cagalli sitting alone and thought that she looked more solitary, more isolated than if she sat alone in an empty room. He turned his heels and left his fiancée for a while who was chatting with the head general's daughter and with his friends a distance away from the long table. His friends had come to accompany the conversation with his fiancée; they thought that if she's to be Henry's fiancée, then it would be best to get to know her too.

When he arrived at Cagalli's table he gazes down at her and Cagalli looked every bit puzzled. He said suddenly, inexplicably sharp, "Come, I shall present you to the Royal Prince." If he had offered to introduce her to an adder Cagalli could hardly have shown more alarm. "You have not congratulated me nor have you given me a hug, so instead of you doing me a favor, I'll do it instead.

"Oh no, Harry, don't! Please don't do that." Cagalli abruptly realized that her ticket to see the prince was rather abrupt and untimely for her liking, she rather wanted to do it independently without Harry doing it for her, it would seem that maybe, to Athrun, she's playing ignorant and "have-we-met" kind of game as to ask other party to re-introduce herself.

-But- He stared at her in honest amazement. "You have been somewhat moping around in this corner, at least fill the air for a while." She fumbled with the ribbons trailing down from the bodice of her gown and muttered something about already being presented.

"That was mere formality," he insisted. "Three words and a curtsy are hardly sufficient to make anyone's acquaintance. And besides, the Royal prince has arrived after the event proper, for him, respectfully he has not known you" Against his impelling arm Cagalli hung back like a reluctant child.

"Don't make me, Harry. I can't. He's busy and so-" But there were no words to describe what she felt about Athrun, who had chilled her at first glance. He gave her a kittenish appeal which had never yet failed to move her or any lady for that matter, but in her present mood it glanced off her without effect and her hands remained firm beneath Henry's elbow. As they approach the table where the prince had sat with his lady, Cagalli saw that he was in a conversation with Max who is sitting beside him.

"You must learn to be at ease with my friends Cagalli," he said pleasantly enough, but in a tone that brooked no opposition. Short of making a public scene, there was nothing Cagalli could do but accompany him to the corner where Athrun, with his partner, along with Henry's father and Max sat talking and chatting the night away with wine glasses present in their hands but seemed to be unattended. She allowed herself to be dragged by Harry with precious little grace.

_Somebody help me! _

"_It's just Athrun Cagalli….just Athrun_" she reminded herself repeating a mantra inside her head justifying that Athrun is nothing but a human being and like her, maybe, he is also nervous.

As they approach the table the gentlemen and ladies of noble birth and status looked up to both of them, Henry and Cagalli, some from the rim of their wine glasses others took a peek from over the fans underneath their noses. Cagalli felt all the more nervous as they approach the edge of the table where Athrun's party is now located, they passed by the ladies and gents sitting by the long table that gathered so many dignitaries by the passing minute. They all are pleasant to look at, their dresses sophisticated, nothing you see every day, she felt her wall crumble as the distance starts to cut short from where they are standing.

Standing before Athrun and his company Henry projected a bow and Cagalli curtseyed. Athrun stood up and nodded his head as a sign of approval. Cagalli kept her gaze down deciding it was best that Athrun would not remember her, it pained a little in her chest but at least it would spare her of any humiliation. _Humiliation? _She wondered, _from what?_

"You have quite a lovely companion with you Henry, would you care to introduce her to me?" Athrun said as Henry seated himself beside Athrun while Cagalli was about to seat as well but did not thinking that it would be more proper for herself to introduce her name to a dignitary whom P.L.A.N.T.S worship as god.

"This is—" Henry began with a gesture of his hand.

"My names Cagallu Yula Atha my lord" Cagalli interjected, calmly curtseyed again as she produced her name succeeding in beating Henry to it.

Athrun grinned and for the first time that night he looked at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Because of the intensity to which he gazes, Cagalli darted her eyes to her shoes feeling insecure.

"Henry." Athrun called.

"Yes, your highness?"

"Would you care if I take Lady Atha here for a dance?"

"By all means your highness, I'm sure she won't mind, in fact she'd loved to." Henry declared forgetting that Cagalli should have been the one to give her permission. She remained standing beside Henry while the two of them created an agreement that should have involved her permission from the start. Cagalli looked at Max who was all smiling and the rest of the guest steadied their gaze as Athrun stood up from his seat and excused himself from the table. Cagalli could feel his eyes on her as he treads his foot softly towards her.

"Would the fair lady grace me with her talent in dancing tonight?" he grinned at her as he stood tall before Cagalli who has lost her retort and stood dumbfounded under his penetrating and teasing glint of his emerald eyes. "Or has her talent been diffuse by the dance earlier with Max." he was evidently teasing her now as Athrun hinted to her that he was indeed watching the dance she did a while ago with Max.

"It would be an honor." Cagalli replied, deciding that it would be better to agree than to be further teased by him, especially when it is not Cagalli's cup of tea to reply sensibly where -her fear of being in the spotlight where eyes are all on her- is concern. She dipped her head as she curtsied but was momentarily stopped when she found Athrun's index finger on her chin tilting her head up. She felt confused as Athrun instead bowed and presented his left hand for her to take and she accepted it. As the crown Prince led her to the middle of the room Cagalli felt that all eyes were on her again, much like the time when Max led her to the dance floor not a while back.

The orchestra played a piece resonating a sound that engulfed the whole place when Athrun motioned his head to them and as the first tune started to play Athrun led her to an array of steps that's awfully familiar to that of a waltz. I could feel his hand on my waist grow tighter as the music jumped to a more thunderous beat and began to mellow down a bit. My eyes never left my feet as Athrun led me to a different part of the dance floor, the guests began to congest the middle as they accompanied us too, I could feel him staring at me, but I could not bring myself to look at him. I have not found the courage until he spoke for the first time directing it at me.

"I believe you could move with ease and a better grace without you digging so much hole in the floor with your staring too much of it." Athrun taunted her that brought Cagalli's attention to his face in the process.

"I'm sorry your highness, I-I'm not much comfortable without staring…" she clucks her tongue, aware of her foolish attempt to be sensible in replying. Athrun giggled at her.

"It's okay, I know how you feel. -People staring at you for no particular reason- I get that a lot." I began to feel that this is part of a diabolical plan to get me more humiliated, _what have I done to him to deserve this humiliation?_ But then I think I spoke too soon.

He stopped dancing and produced a bow, I was even more confused as he started to walk away from me and from the crowd so I have no choice but to follow suit. I do not know what I have done for him to leave me without any explanations, he kept walking and I followed him until we were outside in the garden full of colors and the flowers producing different kinds of scent. It was a wonder how we got out without any person noticing. I began to worry that my insensitivity might have pained him, I was feeling more guilty.

"I'm so sorry your highness if—"

"What's the apology for Cagalli? You have not done anything." It was the first time he addressed me using my first name. He calling my name revealed a part of Athrun from long ago, something that has lost inside of him as he stepped into this place.

"I thought I did something wrong to disappoint you your highness." Despite him calling me by my first name I could not do the same, he was a royalty, the heir to the crown of P.L.A.N.T.S and I think he deserves the respect even if we have been acquainted before.

"You did disappoint me," he turned towards me as he spoke, as he said those words I began to think of which part, what I did, or what have I said that disappointed him. _Must be the dance?_ "You address me as if you don't remember." He turned his heels to leave as he approach the maze. There was not a bit of closure in what he said nor was there a hint of finality that tells me I should not follow him, so again I began to play the tail. I followed him inside the maze making sure that I would not lose sight of him lest I let myself get lost in a field of puzzle. Athrun seems to be familiar of this place since he settled himself warmly on the ring of the fountain by the time I caught up with him. He was staring relentlessly into the water, his finger produced a ripple as he carefully touches the surface of the water, the wave jiggled the lily pads and he smiled. By the time I realized it was too late for me to prevent myself from smiling he shifted his gaze towards me.

"I believe you still remember me Cagalli? Four years does not prevent you from remembering."

"I know your highness, we met years before."

"You disappoint me still, it's Athrun, not your highness, and it's not even my name." he returned his gaze to the water now very still. He stood up and again I felt insecure as he approached me, his eyes never leaving my face. I felt shivers running down my spine as his cold hand cupped my cheeks I have no choice but to look at him eye to eye.

"At least you would still call me the way you did." His eyes were soft and his emerald pools began to mellow that I could not help myself but gaze into those pools.

"Athrun I…" I began to talk but his finger prevented me from speaking.

"Sshh, I have no need for explanations, I'm just happy you're here." He hugged me instantly and I wrapped my hands around his neck as I hugged him tight. It had been years since the last time we hugged like this and I could not help myself to smile and imprint his scent into my memory. He broke away from the hug but not before holding my left hand for him to kiss the base of my wrist.

"I miss you so much." I finally told him, I have been wanting for his company back before my mother killed herself and now I finally have it. He continued to cup my face with his hand and through it he brought my face closer for him to passionately kiss me. I was a bit frazzled and shocked by his action but it melted away as our lips moved with passion so raw that I moaned in the process. We were like lovers meeting for a night tryst by the garden, he like a Romeo and I like a Juliet. His hands moved as he clutched both my arms to push me deeper into his lips and I could not help myself but oblige as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I moaned between kisses and I felt a need for air. I stopped kissing him as I was out of breath, I pulled away and I leaned my forehead on his chin as a result and I could feel his heavy breathing on my hair as he too was out of breath. I placed both my palm on his chest and it ride with his breathing. He placed a chaste kiss on my forehead and I felt him giggle.

"Funny, I was dreaming of a kiss like this back when we were kids." I blushed knowing the implementation of that phrase. "Back then I never had the guts to." I could only stare at him as he still has his arms around me, his thumb caressing my expose back.

"You've grown so much Cagalli, it aches me to not see you grow." He untangled himself from me and walk towards the fountain to sit on the ring the one he was occupying minutes ago, I sat beside him, watching him in a side glance and my face could not etched a smile to how sudden we expressed ourselves a while ago.

"Well, I could say the same thing for you, you have grown a lot too, you have become a man, and a handsome one at that, who would have guessed that the boy I was playing with, is a King in the making." I teased him as I began to ruffle his hair like a kid. He held my wrist with his hand to stop me from my ministration and for me to leave his hair in peace, but he did not let it go, instead he held it in front of him examining it before planting a kiss. He intertwined my right hand with his left and once in place his fingers drummed my knuckles.

"It fits perfectly well" he informed."

"I know, my hands are too small."

"No, it's just the right size." He kissed my hand for the last time before staring into my eyes. It was then that I know there were no words to say how we missed each other, for so long I dreamt of him to come back to me even though I never own him from the start. To say the least, we found no words to express what happiness we feel to be reunited again as friends, unbeknownst to both of us we were broken and seeing a person from the past brought a feeling of security. We have grown; Athrun to his duties and me to mine. In this world we were polar apart.

**OoOoOo**

**I know I failed a promise I made and I want to say forgive me to those who have their hopes up by it. I am so sorry for that. Well, as promised I still updated, right? If you have any questions, corrections and suggestions please feel free to p.m me or if you don't have an account just type it on the review and I will look up to it. Thank you so much for reading. Please review! If you have any suggestions as to how the next plot should run, I think I'm open for suggestions on the storyline and/or plot.**

**~HNNKN777~**


	7. On Horses

**A/N: I'm beginning to give bad impression on you guys to think that I haven't updated my fics for a very long time. If I were to give you reasons for my lack of interest in updating it'd surely be redundant throughout, but I think there are new additions to the list of reasons why I can't update and that is the infamous major writer's block and weeks of vacation .**

**But fear not, this chapter is a breakthrough from it though this may be short cause I still feel a bit of the residues of the week's vacation and my brain just woke up from weeks of slumber. **

**I'm very sorry for the wait! I hope I still have your interest in touch.**

**OoOoOoOo**

It was impossible to stay any longer in bed. Remembering the intimacy she had with Athrun last night was a bit of a thorn to her conscience. She had not expected where the kiss came from and what brought them both to act in a way was beyond her, she knew only that it was out of familiarity and maybe the urge to be with each other's arms. To her it was more to the need to authenticate what that once they had before. Friends recollecting the past bonds.

Cagalli threw back the sheets and hurried towards the window to see what the view would be in daylight. To her dismay, she saw very little. The house had been built round a very small, formal garden which normally would have been a delight to her eyes but which that morning seemed faintly dull when she had been expecting for snow-capped mountains across the hill and the endless view that made Contevo a remarkable place. The guests were assigned to their respective quarters and each were expected to turn out rather late in getting up hence the empty halls and earpiercing silence.

She opened the latticed shutters last night because she liked to have as much light as possible in her assigned quarters, but she noticed that none of the guest had done the same. She might have been alone in the world, for no one else was up in the golden-stone building and she began to wish that she had consulted somebody as to whether she was expected to get up for breakfast, or whether it would be brought to her quarter.

It was too nice a day not to dress and explore her surroundings though, and the joys of having a bathroom all to herself were too great not to be used by having a quick shower before she pulled on a shirt with a cartoon sheep imprinted at the middle and a pair of coffee colored cargo shorts. As soon as she was ready, she crept down the corridor as silently as possible so as not to awaken any of the guests sleeping the day away and slipped out of the nearest door that led out into the sunlight.

She saw immediately that it was not the door they had come in by the evening before. That had been huge, carved, and surrounded by ornate geometric patterns that might or might not have been stylized flowers and animals, but it had been difficult to see in the fading light. This door led out into yet another yard, cobbled with a long line of stables down one side and the wall of the house on the other. The third wall was taken up by the arched entrance, surmounted by the tiled portrait of the Goddess of Beauty; Aphrodite.

In the middle of the yard Athrun was seated astride a chestnut gelding that must have stood all of seventeen hands. Already restless, the horse shied at the sight of her and was brought under control by an almost unnoticeable movement of Athrun's wrist.

"Good morning," he said to her. "I hope you slept well?"

He looked so different in his Costwold jacket, featuring a plain collar and saddle hugger jodhpurs, and a hat set at a rakish angle on his head.

"If you want to come with me, I can wait," he suggested, looking down at her with that familiar, mocking stare that made her so self-conscious in his presence.

"I don't know how to ride," she confessed.

"You could learn."

She advanced a few quick steps, her face lighting up with excitement. "Would you teach me?" Then her face fell. "But it would hold you up and your horse looks impatient to be off now."

He gave her a sardonic smile, "The horse will do as I tell it. Well, do you want to come?"

"Yes." She answered.

He dismounted, pulling the reins over his horse's head in an easy movement. "Hold my horse, then, while I saddle up my Rosa's mare for you. She won't run away with you, or play you up at all. All you have to do is sit on her and let her do the rest." He looked her up and down. " I think a side-saddle, don't you?"

"But nobody does side-saddle nowadays!" she protested, at the back of her mind she wondered why Athrun addressed Rosa as "my Rosa", even if they are affianced it does not seem to fit in to Cagalli's liking of Athrun calling Rosa like he owned her. _Is there something I've been missing?_

"They do around here, especially at P.L.A.N.T.S where most of the noble ladies of birth are taught the etiquettes of riding. Riding astride is all right for men, but women weren't built for it." His smile grew wider. "You'll look much more elegant and attractive on Rosa's saddle."

Cagalli gave him a dying look. "I don't think Rosa would like it." Deep in the recesses of her thoughts, she's beginning to dislike the young girl for no particular reason.

His eyes narrowed. "Why not?"

She licked her lips, remembering the encounter with Rosa last night at the party, though Cagalli admit that she does not find Rosa to be the approachable type but she also has qualities that would not prevent Cagalli from befriending her. It's rude to judge by first impression and if Rosa is Athrun's fiancée, the best act she could think of right now is to be candid and amiable with her at least. But still riding her mare without her permission, or worst, without her knowing is a bad move in succeeding to produce a good impression on her. She thought of the future on how she's going to come up with them being engaged and eventually marrying, ultimately when that time comes Cagalli would be out of the picture and out of Athrun's life for good. For now, she had to spend time with Athrun before he leaves for P.L.A.N.T.S, when he leaves, she can never seize an opportunity like this.

"Well, we have not asked for her permission to ride her mare." Cagalli answered.

"It's not hers to begin with," Athrun countered, "besides, these horses are designated by Henry for his guest to use, he just thought that knowing Rosa and her poor skills in riding he might at least present to her a tamable beast she could easily control, that goes without saying that you too falls on that category."

"Should I take that as a compliment or a critic?" Cagalli sarcastically said. _He has some guts to tease me early in the morning! _

"I think both would be adequate." He answered back, pulling ever so gently the mare. Athrun took away the rein Cagalli was holding as he held onto Cagalli's waist; the act taunted a blush from the lady, and hoisted her up the saddle. Athrun taught her how she was going to lock her legs when the time comes for the horse to be in motion.

"Now, hooked the right leg behind your left," he pointed out, from time to time Cagalli could not look at him in the face for fear that he'll see how red her face has become due to blushing and how she thought that if anyone were to pass by and see the prince pulling her legs, she could have died of embarrassment, "Need I remind you again that you don't have to do anything, the horse can manage once it has taken a stride, okay?"

"Yes."

OoOoOoO

It was utterly delightful to be riding again, out in the open air. Athrun had not been into horse riding back since he was forbidden to ride one for fear that he might acquire a terrible injury that might cause the throne. But his confident now that he was able to have good years of training and experience from out of the best teacher's money could provide.

Looking sideways, he saw how the horse Cagalli was mounted on had behaved like a turtle. The mare was rather more behaved than he had expected.

Cagalli patted her glossy brown neck as she rode, learning the arts of balance, calmness and the sense of being one with nature. "Good girl. Good girl." she cooed in her ear. "You would show just how well behaved you can be, wouldn't you? Good girl."

"You and the mare seem to be in remarkable sympathy Cagalli." Athrun matched his horse's pace to the mare's walk.

Cagalli smiled warmly at him. "I think she is determined to prove that she can be friendly to amateur riders like me."

"That horse seems to have a very easy manner."

Cagalli said nothing. She just smiled and stroked the mare's neck once more.

Athrun began to point out some of the interesting aspects of the estate. Over the following twenty minutes or so, Cagalli learned a great deal about it. The workers cottages were clean and neat and very clearly well-maintained. If there was dire poverty in Orb, it was not to be found in this estate. And the workers they met were always with smiles and bright 'Good morning'.

They have come, at last, to a broad hillside dotted with fat sheep, sweeping down to a glistening loch on the valley floor.

"How beautiful it is!" Cagalli exclaimed. She leaned a little forward, raking her eyes at the sight of the greenish grass and the sparkling waters beneath them and inhaled the scent of the crisp morning air. She loved sites like this, it often reminisces the days of no worries.

"Breathtaking, I take it." He turned to her face, more akin to relieve his own stresses as well. His current occupation deserted any amount of opportunities to leave and relieve his aching head. His country has always been awake twenty-four-seven. Harry's engagement was an opportunity to get his mind off of any responsibilities on his shoulder for a while. He's got one more week before the political bollocks starts hammering into him once again and the stack of imp-cum-Advisers, Ambassadors, Prime Minister—Politicians and power-seeking people, ready to sweep him out of the throne if he's not careful and wary enough to guard his throne like a hawk. Never the less even if he was not able to produce stellar performance, the title of Crown Prince still sits dormant to no one but only him.

They have been a looming presence to him ever since he was a child. He felt isolated from the rest of the children under the so-called "regency system", an elaborate set of rules and protocols set by them and devised by the council to banish him from meeting people who are undesirable and may be a threat to the throne, designed to render him weak and dependent upon them. Throughout his childhood days after the terrible incident of his parents, he was left to seeing no one but Rosa, his family, the council and to whom both ( council and family) deemed safe to approach him. But his old and wise enough now, maybe even powerful enough to direct them to back off of his personal life. He has just about enough of them banding him from just about everything including how he live his life.

Overly judgmental he may be but his throne is what's left of the responsibilities left by him by his parents. To the overall opinion of the Zala's though, nothing and no one is better suited for the job than them and the thousands of histories apparent in books and papers are enough of an evidence to show them they are better of waiting for the next millions of centuries before dreaming they could take hold of it. It's a pride, like his Father and all the Zala rulers before him, that he's not accustomed to give up anyhow.

He had been away from Orb far too long, he was never the same when he came back. Never the child who feared the shadows and tragedies of the past that made him immobile. Never was there a time he felt ever so helpless, but those days where long been cast in the sea and had sunk in deep in the recesses of his memories. All he has now is what strive him to be nobody's puppet but himself. _That's right, I am the first and final word._ The very thought enabled a grin to plaster on his face. Anyway, what he needs is a good distraction, for now.

"Cagalli, shall I tempt you to a gallop across this hillside?" Athrun asked.

"That's every bit dangerous Athrun," Cagalli reasoned. Athrun, expecting her to gallop when she, in fact could hardly brace herself from toppling off the saddle, "besides if you wish for both of us to gallop it will be a dissapointment since I myself could hardly gauge a trot, a gallop would be far from me."

A chuckle could be heard from the air and then a bust of mellifluous laughter wafted from where two riders where stalling, "A jest Cagalli, a jest" Athrun said in between laughs, and to emphasise his point he stressed out nonchalantly, "I was only teasing you!"

"Oh" Cagalli replied, realizing the jest of it all, Cagalli produce the same laughter in the air.

"Are you hungry?" Athrun inquired to the blonde beside him cutting the hilarity in the air.

She answered him in blithe, "Quite," still having the effect of the moment.

"Let's turn back then, we don't want to arrive when all the guests have awaken." Athrun yanked his horse's reign and turned the beast around towards the direction of the manor and trotted a bit faster leaving Cagalli to trouble with the speed,_ obviously_ teasing her again to catch up with him in that phase and to presume that she'd be over another level in her horseriding by now.

"Athrun," she called out from quite a distance now that Athrun has advance a lead, "wait for me!". Indeed, Cagalli and the mare had leveled up in speed though not as fast as Athrun had.

OoOoOoO

Athrun rode out of the courtyard andaround to the back of the manor, heading for the stable block. He clattered into the cobbled yard, Cagalli and the mare following behind him, and jumped off his horse with his usual vitality and energy. As he hurried over to his best friend, he greeted the stable lads cheerfully who have gone up to resume their usual duties, they greeted him a smile and a bow; a moment later he was reaching up for Cagalli exclaiming, "Let me help you dismount, Cagalli!"

Cagalli shook her head vehemently. "I can manage Athrun, I truly can," the girl protested, stealing a surreptitious look at the stable boys through the corner of her eyes, wondering whether gossip and rumours are rampant even in houses like this.

But Athrun paid not the slightest attention to Cagalli; he is Crown Prince and as such get's what he wants; he put his strong arms around the girl, determined to lift her down from the saddle. Cagalli sighed. Accepting that she now had no choice but to agree. She slipped her foor out of the stirrups and reluctantly slid into her friend's enfolding arms.

For a split second, Athrun held Cagalli close to his chest, and then he put her down on the cobblestones, noting that his best friend's narrow face was pinched with cold and drained of color. _My fault, _he chided himself, regretting even more his thoughtlessness.

"Thank you, Athrun," Cagalli murmured, staring up into her friend's handsome face, through her steady amber eyes. Athrun was six feet four, broad of chest, very strong yet lean, his midnight blue hair that framed his face had gone thicker the last time she laid eyes on that lock. To Cagalli, and to every women perhaps who met him, Athrun Zala was the handsomest lad alive, he had changed indeed and so did she.

"You go in first, I'll catch up to you in a moment." Athrun cried, giving Cagalli an affectionate push toward the side door which led to the mudroom. Cagalli did as she was told, and as Athrun followed her inside at a quick pace, he called out to one of the stable lads who scurried toward the direction of the caller, "The horses have been ridden quite hard this morning. They need your very best rub-down, and put the heavy wool blankets on them before you give them water and feed."

"Right away your Highness!" the lad shouted back glancing at him. He and the other stable lad took the reins and led the horses toward the stables and tack room.

Once Athrun and Cagalli entered the mudroom, they felt the warmth of the house surrounding them. A moment later both of them went down the corridor at the back of the house all the way to The Hall at the center.

"I shall ask Cook to make us a small snack and a hot tea," Athrun informed Cagalli.

"Is it okay with her?" Cagalli felt a bit remorse for whomever the Cook might be to have them wake her or him up so early in the morning to mesh a snack and tea for just the two of them.

"Of course, it's her duty and she'd be oblige," Athrun answered smiling up at Cagalli.

"I'm going to have a word with the Cook. I'll be back in a few minutes."

OoOoOoO

Mrs. Haddon glanced up expectantly when the door to her kitchen opened. "Why, good mornin' Your Highness!"

"Hello Mrs. Haddon," he responded in his usual polite manner, giving her one of his most beguiling smiles. "Would it be possible for you to make a large pot of tea and something to eat for us?"

"Of course Your Highness!" She wiped her big, capable hands on a tea towel and strode accross to the long steel table standing in the middle of the huge kitchen. "I've just been baking a few things-" She broke off, waved a hand in her morning's work, and added, "I know how you like the Cornish pastries. I'll get a tray ready for you sir, and send young Lucy with it in a tick, once I've made the pot of tea. Does that suit Your highness?"

"It does indeed Cook. Thank you so much, I do appreciate it." Once more, he gave her the benefit of his warm smile and inclined his head.

"My pleasure," she called after him,watching him walk over to the door. Swinging after, he waved his hand and was gone.

She swung around as the door opened again and muttered, "There you are young Lucy. I was just wondering where you'd go to-" She broke off and clucked again. "Bump into His Highness did you lass?"

The parlor maid nodded and blushed. Mrs. Haddon shook her head and sighed but made no further reference to Athrun. Instead she continued, "Set a large tray,please, Lucy. I'm preparing a morning snack for His Highness. When it's ready, you can take it to the Morning Room."

"Yes Cook."

**OoOoOoOoOo**

**Yehey another chapter done! **

**I think I'd be posting Athrun and Cagalli's conversation in the next chapter, which is sort of like a retell of what had transpired in their lives. I'm praying I won't forget and that there are no holes in the story. I'm sorry for the errors I made, if you do see some please inform me immediately so that I may work on repairing it.**

**To those who are wondering when I might update "Know the real Me" I'd say soon . I can't give you a definite answer as of the moment, but don't worry I have started writing the next chapter but I don't know when I'll finish it though.**

**If you have any questions and suggestions, feel free to pm me or reach me in any way you can. **

**Please review, can't say that I don't need inspiration now and then, at least a token for something I voluntarily gave my efforts too. I finished this chapter up around exactly 12:00 a.m, can I ask for a compensation then? We authors consider it a jewel. I'm not in any way fofrcing you though, just want you to know in any case. Thank you and see you next time!**

**~HNNKN777~**


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